The death toll from the devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court public housing complex in Hong Kong has risen to 128, with as many as 200 residents still missing, officials confirmed on Friday, as rescue operations were formally declared over.

Firefighters had been combing through the high-rise towers since the blaze began on Wednesday afternoon, attempting to reach anyone trapped in the eight-building estate in Tai Po District. The fire, one of the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades, spread to seven of the eight towers, engulfing the complex that houses over 4,600 people.

Families struggle amid chaos

Throughout Friday morning, residents and relatives arrived at the nearby Kwong Fuk Estate community centre to identify bodies recovered from the gutted buildings. Few names of the deceased have been publicly released so far, and many families remain in anguish over missing loved ones.

“We’ll endeavour to effect forcible entry to all the units of the seven buildings, so as to ensure there are no other possible casualties,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services.

Rescue crews had prioritized apartments from which more than two dozen calls for help were made during the fire, but could not be reached. Authorities reported that most of the fatalities were concentrated in two of the towers, while survivors were rescued from the others.

By Friday morning, the fires had been mostly contained, though some apartments remained alight, with firefighters focused on preventing flare-ups.

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Grief and uncertainty for residents

Residents spoke of shock and grief.

Mr Lau, whose parents remain unaccounted for, said, “At the scene, I know nothing. I just want to know if my parents are alive or dead. If they’ve died, I don’t want to even see the bodies, I only want to know they’re gone, so at least I won’t keep worrying.”

Another resident, who lived on the 10th floor, said her family was safe but expressed fear for neighbours who remained missing.

Impact on migrant workers

The disaster has particularly affected foreign domestic workers. Indonesia’s consul-general, Yul Edison, confirmed that at least one Indonesian national is among the dead. A spokesperson for the Mission for Migrant Workers NGO said 11 Indonesian and 19 Filipino helpers are still missing from the 119 known to reside in the complex.

A crowd-sourced web application has been tracking reports from residents, noting specific apartments and individual cases. Reports include a 41-year-old man trapped in a stairwell, a 60-year-old man, a 90-year-old woman, and a 40-year-old Indian domestic helper, among other casualties.

Authorities have launched investigations into the cause of the fire. Three executives from the construction company responsible for the years-long renovation of the estate were arrested. Officials are scrutinising the bamboo scaffolding, green mesh, and flammable styrofoam used in elevator window coverings throughout the building.

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