DFA: No Filipino casualties reported in Hong Kong fire

MANILA, Philippines — No Filipino has been confirmed dead or injured in a deadly fire that struck high-rise residential buildings in Tai Po district, New Territories, in Hong Kong Wednesday, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). 

The DFA, however, said the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong received unconfirmed reports that several Filipino workers were trapped in the affected buildings.

“[The] consulate received unverified information that some Filipino domestic workers may be trapped inside the buildings. The Consulate immediately passed on this information to authorities,” the DFA said in a statement. 

“Efforts by the Hong Kong Fire Services Department to contain the fire are still ongoing. Due to the scale and intensity of the fire, it will take time before the extent of the damage and number and nationality of the victims are fully determined,” the DFA added.

“The Consulate General continues to coordinate with the Hong Kong Police Force and stands ready to assist any Filipino national who may be affected or injured in the fire,” it added.

The death toll from the high-rise fire has risen to at least 44, officials said Thursday. Hundreds more remained unaccounted for in the city’s worst blaze in decades. /gsg/abc