As Hong Kong fire toll soars to 146, Beijing warns against 'anti-China' protests

The death toll from the fire that swept through Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court estate has climbed to 146, police said on Sunday (Nov 30), as authorities in Beijing warned citizens against any "anti-China" protest. At the site of the horrific fire, rescuers have widened their search through the charred remains of the high-rise complex. Officers with the Disaster Victim Identification Unit recovered more bodies after entering three additional towers, but warned the number could rise further as work continues inside the burnt-out blocks.

Deadliest fire in decades

The Hong Kong high-rise fire is now considered the deadliest residential building fire in the world since 1980. For Hong Kong, it is its deadliest tragedy since 1948, when a blaze triggered by an explosion killed at least 135 people.

China warns Hongkongers against protest

The tragedy has sparked public anger over fire safety failures, construction oversight, and claims that warnings were ignored before the blaze. Pressure for accountability has been growing both online and on the ground. More than 1,000 residents queued outside the estate on Sunday, laying flowers, candles and handwritten messages in a scene that stretched late into the evening.

On Saturday (Nov 29), China's national security authorities issued a stern notice warning citizens against using the disaster to stage protests or attempt to "plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos".

"We sternly warn the anti-China disruptors who attempt to disrupt Hong Kong through disaster," the statement read.

Hong Kong media reported that 24-year-old activist Miles Kwan was detained over an online petition calling for an independent investigation into the fire and allegations of corruption. The petition gathered more than 10,000 signatures within 24 hours. Speaking the day before his reported arrest, Kwan told AFP that "We need to be frank about how today's Hong Kong is riddled with holes, inside and out."

Police did not confirm his detention, saying only that action would be taken in accordance with "actual circumstances and in accordance with the law".

A second petition, launched by a Tai Po resident living overseas, has also gained traction with more than 2,700 signatures by Sunday. "The government owes Hongkongers genuine, explicit accountability," it read. Authorities have arrested 11 people so far over the fire. Construction works have been halted at 30 private building sites citywide, and an interdepartmental task force is investigating the cause of the blaze.