New Delhi, Nov. 28 -- The death toll from the catastrophic fire at a Hong Kong apartment complex rose sharply on Friday, after firefighters finally extinguished the blaze 42 hours after it first erupted.

Authorities confirmed that at least 128 people have died and 79 others were injured as the inferno tore through multiple blocks within a public housing estate in the city's Tai Po district.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, told reporters the scale of the devastation is still being assessed, warning that the numbers could increase as rescue teams continue searching the charred structures.

(This is a developing story. More to come)

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from MINT....