Hong Kong Mourns Victims of Deadly Fire

An outpouring of grief began in Hong Kong on Saturday as an official, three-day mourning period commenced with a moment of silence for the 128 people killed in one of the city’s deadliest fires.

City leader John Lee, along with senior ministers and dozens of top civil servants, observed three minutes of silence Saturday morning outside government headquarters, where the flags of china and Hong Kong were flown at half-mast.

before the silence, citizens placed flowers near the charred remains of Wang Fuk Court, the residential complex that burned for more than 40 hours.

“May your spirits in heaven always keep the joy alive,” read a note of remembrance left at the site.

The government established condolence points across Hong Kong for the public to sign condolence books.

Families continue searching hospitals and victim identification stations, hoping to find loved ones, with approximately 200 people still listed as missing and 89 bodies unidentified.

On Friday, the city’s anti-corruption watchdog arrested eight people in connection with the blaze, the world’s worst residential building fire since 1980.

Flames spread rapidly through the housing estate in the northern Tai Po district on Wednesday afternoon, engulfing seven of the eight high-rises in the densely packed complex.

Authorities have not yet persistent the cause, but preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated on protective netting on the lower floors of one tower. “Highly flammable” foam boards and bamboo scaffolding likely contributed to the fire’s spread.