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Hong Kong fire death toll up to 151

According to the newspaper, while inspecting buildings destroyed by fire, rescuers discovered five more bodies on Monday

HONG KONG, December 1. /TASS/. The number of people killed in a fire in Hong Kong has risen to 151, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported, citing the city's firefighting service.

According to the newspaper, while inspecting buildings destroyed by fire, rescuers discovered five more bodies on Monday.

The fire broke out on Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court complex, comprising eight high-rise buildings, in the Tai Po neighborhood of Hong Kong's New Territories, with one building being practically intact and seven others being engulfed by flames. The blaze spread quickly across bamboo scaffolding, installed around these buildings for cosmetic refurbishments. The complex contains almost 2,000 apartments, accommodating around 4,000 residents.

This blaze is the deadliest residential building fire in the city's history. The previous most lethal fire broke out at the Garley Building in 1996, killing 41 people and injuring 81. At the same time, Hong Kong has seen even more tragic fires. The deadliest one in the city's history dates back to February 27, 1918, and occurred at the Happy Valley Racecourse. More than 600 people died after a temporary spectator stand collapsed and ignited a fire. Another blaze, which broke out on Des Voeux Road West in 1948, when a cargo of celluloid film caught fire in a warehouse and spread to residential buildings, causing 176 deaths and leaving 69 injured.

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