MANILA — A Filipino national has been confirmed among the fatalities in the catastrophic high-rise fire that tore through a residential complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong — one of the territory’s deadliest blazes in decades.
The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong said on Sunday that the victim was a Filipino woman. Her identity remains withheld pending notification of her next of kin.
The consulate’s latest advisory, issued on Nov. 29, reported that 79 Filipinos have been confirmed safe, one has been injured, and 12 others remain under verification.
“The Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong is presently continuing its on-the-ground operations to check the welfare of and assist overseas Filipino workers affected by the Tai Po fire incident,”
the consulate said.
The inferno raged for more than 10 hours, killing 128 people and leaving around 150 others missing as of Saturday.
Authorities said the blaze began at around 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday and rapidly escalated due to highly flammable foam materials and bamboo scaffolding surrounding the buildings.
Hong Kong police arrested three construction workers on suspicion of manslaughter. The men were part of a maintenance crew operating in the area at the time of the incident.
Investigations into the cause of the fire and accountability for the massive loss of life are ongoing./PN
