HONG KONG—Elite teams from the police’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) mobilized across the severely damaged Tai Po Wan Fuk Court housing complex today, November 29, to begin the grim task of identifying victims from the massive Category V fire that ripped through the estate earlier this week. The search operation, involving several hundred officers equipped for hazardous conditions, follows the devastating blaze that officials confirmed killed at least 128 people and injured 83 others, making it one of the deadliest residential fires in recent Hong Kong history.
Following the fire department’s successful containment efforts, the Hong Kong Police Force commenced a comprehensive search and evidence collection mission. Assistant Commissioner of Police for the New Territories North Region, Lin Man-han, confirmed that approximately 600 DVIU personnel were deployed this morning. Tasked with entering the complex’s highly precarious environment, officers wore protective gear, non-slip footwear, and helmets as they focused their initial efforts on Blocks A (Wang Yan Court) and B (Wang Dao Court). These blocks, which experienced fire later and were extinguished sooner, were deemed structurally safe after initial engineering checks, with internal temperatures significantly reduced.
By 2:30 p.m., the specialized searches in Blocks A and B concluded without the discovery of additional human remains. However, the teams did manage to locate and rescue several distressed animals: three cats were found alive in Wang Yan Court, and a tortoise was recovered from Wang Dao Court. These animals have since been transferred to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for care.
The challenging nature of the post-disaster environment significantly heightened the difficulty of the search. Commissioner Lin noted that the buildings were dark and complex, with extensive fire damage rendering many units virtually unrecognizable. Crews faced collapsed debris, narrow passages, and flooded areas where water levels reached calf-height in some locations.
Regarding the recovery timeline for the entire seven-block complex, Commissioner Lin acknowledged the urgency but provided a cautious estimate. She said police efforts to complete the full investigation will take approximately three to four weeks, a testament to the scale of the destruction and the need for meticulous forensic work.
Identifying the Lost and Unaccounted For
The immediate priority remains the identification and notification of victims. Senior Superintendent Tsang Suk-yin, head of the Police Casualty Inquiry Centre, updated the public on the severe casualty count. As of 3 p.m. today, 128 fatalities and 83 injuries have been confirmed.
Through cross-referencing information from rescue personnel and missing persons reports, police confirmed the identities of 84 deceased and 37 injured individuals who had been reported missing. However, the remains of 44 victims still await formal identification. Police are actively contacting Next of Kin and reporting parties to initiate preliminary viewing and identification procedures.
The process of accounting for the missing has been particularly complex. While authorities have successfully contacted 144 individuals initially listed as unreachable, confirming their safety, a significant number—150 people—remain unaccounted for. Superintendent Tsang noted that tracking some of these individuals is difficult due to fragmented or outdated information. Approximately 100 cases involve sparse information, such as reports filed by acquaintances who only knew the missing person by a nickname or who had not been in regular contact for years, complicating official tracing efforts.
The ongoing operation underscores the long and painful recovery process facing the community as forensic teams work tirelessly to bring closure to hundreds of families impacted by the tragedy. Police urge anyone with information regarding missing residents to contact the Casualty Inquiry Centre immediately.
Leave a Reply