Hong Kong fire: mourners flock to site despite Beijing warning against anti-China protests

TAI PO: Thousands of mourners flocked to the Wang Fuk Court housing complex to lay flowers for the victims of a deadly fire, despite strict warnings from authorities.

The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday this week, tore through seven residential towers in Tai Po district, near the border with mainland China. The death toll has now risen to 146. Hong Kong police did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the incident.

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Many mourners also came to the site to lodge complaints over the tragedy. An online petition demanding accountability had gathered over 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon before it was closed. Another petition, launched by a Tai Po resident living overseas, sought clarity on the cause of the fire and had over 2,700 signatures as of Sunday. It stated, “The government owes Hongkongers genuine, explicit accountability.”

Despite long queues of people stretching up to a kilometer, Beijing warned that it would invoke the national security law to crack down on any “anti-China” protests following the fire.

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China’s national security authorities cautioned on Saturday against using the disaster to “plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos” of 2019, when massive pro-democracy protests challenged Beijing and sparked a political crisis.

“We sternly warn the anti-China disruptors who attempt to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster.’ No matter what methods you use, you will be held accountable and strictly punished,” the statement read.