HK calls off rescue efforts after worst fire in decades

Authorities in Hong Kong called off rescue efforts after the worst fire there in decades, with the death toll from an apartment-complex blaze rising to 128 and about 200 people still missing. “We do not rule out the possibility that more bodies could be discovered,” Hong Kong’s security chief said, adding that the priority now was to bring temperatures inside affected buildings down. Meanwhile authorities announced the arrest of the bosses of the construction company believed to be responsible for the disaster, calling them “grossly negligent.” Officials said fire alarms within the housing complex had not been working properly. However residents had raised fears as far back as Sep. 2024 of potential fire risks, calls that apparently went largely unheeded.