THE EDITOR – Indonesia’s Consulate General in Hong Kong on Saturday confirmed that the number of Indonesian nationals killed in a massive apartment fire in the city has risen to seven, as authorities continue searching through the charred remains of one of Hong Kong’s deadliest residential blazes.
“After coordinating with the Hong Kong Police Force, it has been confirmed that the total number of Indonesian fatalities now stands at seven,” the Consulate General said in The Jakarta Globe on Saturday (29/11/2025).
All the victims were Indonesian migrant workers employed as domestic helpers.
According to labor data and on-site verification, the Consulate identified around 140 Indonesian migrant workers residing in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, where the fire broke out. Of that number, the whereabouts and conditions of 61 have been confirmed, including those who died, while 79 others remain unaccounted for and are still being verified.
The Consulate said local authorities are still conducting forensic identification of the recovered bodies. KJRI officers are working closely with Hong Kong authorities and assisting affected Indonesian workers.
The Consulate has also distributed logistical aid to several temporary shelters and opened a service post at the Tai Po Community Center. Additional posts have been prepared to handle urgent needs, including emergency passport services.
Fire swept through the Wang Fuk Court complex on Wednesday, and by Friday evening, the overall death toll had climbed to 128, with 79 others injured.
Hong Kong firefighters discovered dozens more bodies during an intensive apartment-by-apartment search of the high-rise complex after the blaze engulfed seven of its eight towers. Crews prioritized units linked to more than two dozen emergency calls made during the fire, but which could not be reached in time, according to Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services.
The death toll rose by 34 after additional bodies were found inside the blackened buildings, and Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the number could still increase as the search continues. He said 89 of the recovered bodies have yet to be identified, while roughly 200 residents remain missing. The investigation is expected to take at least three to four weeks.
Hong Kong authorities have detained 11 suspects on charges of manslaughter, offenses resulting in death without intent, as part of the ongoing probe into the cause and handling of the disaster.
