Death toll climbs to 128, more arrests made in deadly Hong Kong fire at Wang Fuk Court complex

Nov. 28, 2025

The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption announced more arrests following the deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po. Authorities had removed over 100 bodies from the burned apartment complex, but only 39 victims had been identified, said Chris Tang, Hong Kong's top security official. The fire is threatening to disrupt the Government's official narrative around the planned Dec. 7 elections.

Further Reading :

• Hong Kong tower fire toll rises to 128, more arrests made [Reuters]
  Nov. 28, 2025 — Hong Kong's anti-graft body on Friday said it had arrested eight people in connection with a fire that ripped through a high-rise apartment complex killing at least 128 people with 200 still missing in the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years.
• Hong Kong apartment fire tests Beijing-backed rule as anger mounts [The Washington Post]
  Nov. 28, 2025 — With elections looming, the fire undercuts the government’s insistence it can cater to people’s needs without giving them a greater say in who rules the city. China put an end to massive pro-democracy protests with sweeping national security laws in 2020 that limited candidates for elections in the former British colony to “patriots” approved by Beijing.
• Death Toll Rises to 128 in Hong Kong High-Rise Fire [The New York Times]
  Nov. 28, 2025 — Hope of finding survivors has dwindled, with many residents of the densely packed Wang Fuk Court apartment towers still unaccounted for. Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s secretary of security, said that about 200 people were unaccounted for as more bodies are expected to be recovered.

Key Words :

• Chris Tang
• Independent Commission Against Corruption
• Wang Fuk Court
• Xi Jinping