Five Indonesians Still Missing After Hong Kong’s Deadliest Apartment Fire

Jakarta: Indonesian authorities are still searching for five citizens who remain unaccounted for following the devastating apartment fire in Hong Kong last week.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an estimated 140 Indonesians lived in the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po.

As of Wednesday (December 3), 125 have been confirmed safe, nine have been verified dead, one person is hospitalized, and five are still missing.

Officials at the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong have been visiting shelters to locate survivors. Most Indonesian residents affected by the fire were domestic workers living with their employers.

The blaze, which swept through Wang Fuk Court, has now become Hong Kong’s deadliest residential fire in decades, with the death toll rising to 159 after authorities completed searches of all affected housing blocks. Police warned that the figure could still change as investigators analyze suspected human bone fragments found at the scene.

Mourners continued to gather on Wednesday at a small park near the charred buildings, placing flowers and handwritten notes in memory of the victims, who ranged from one year old to 97.

“I hope people can come here to process their grief,” said visitor Sarah Lam, expressing frustration at the “injustice” suffered by the victims. “I hope the truth comes out soon so they don’t have to leave this world with unanswered sorrow,” she told Channel News Asia.

The park has become a spontaneous memorial site, decorated with colorful origami cranes, while volunteers distribute paper and pens for visitors to leave tributes.