Hong Kong bldg blaze death toll soars to 128

Hong Kong: The number of people who have been killed in the devastating fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong rose to 128, with as many as 200 people still missing, CNN reported on Friday, citing officials, as firefighters brought the blaze under control 42 hours after it ignited.

According to CNN, at least 79 people were injured in the fire which rapidly spread through multiple buildings in a public housing estate in the Tai Po neighborhood, Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang said during a press conference Friday. He warned that the death toll could rise further as there are about 200 people whose situation is unknown.

As per him, this figure includes a number of dead bodies yet to be identified. Wang Fuk Court, an affordable housing complex completed in 1983, houses around 4,000 residents in 1,984 units.

When the fire broke out, all eight buildings were enclosed in green mesh and scaffolding as part of a major renovation project. The fire started from the scaffolding outside one building and spread to six others, Xinhua reported.