Death toll in Hong Kong fire mounts to 83

Beijing/Hong Kong: Firefighters battled for a second day on Thursday to contain a massive inferno that ripped through seven high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong, as the death toll climbed to 83 and over 280 people remained missing in what officials described as the city's worst disaster in 70 years.

Some 76 people were injured, including 15 in critical condition and 28 listed as serious. The dead also include a firefighter. Many are still trapped in the buildings. 

Raging flames at four out of the seven blocks have been brought under control, while fires continued to burn on the upper floors of the remaining 31-storey buildings on Thursday evening. Full-scale rescue work is ongoing, and victims are still being extracted from the buildings, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

The exact cause of the fire, which started on Wednesday, is not yet known, and a criminal investigation has been launched. City officials say over 280 people are still missing from the seven gutted buildings, each with 32 floors.

The Hong Kong government has set up a HKD 300 million (about USD 43 million) relief fund for those affected. Hundreds of evacuated residents have been shifted to temporary shelters.

The Wang Fuk Court, built in 1983, in the city's suburban Tai Po district, has eight towers with 1,984 apartments housing around 4,600 residents, according to the 2021 census. Nearly 40 per cent of its residents are estimated to be around 60 years of age, making the subsidised housing estate their home since it was built.