HONG KONG, Nov 28 — Residents of a Tai Po housing estate were overwhelmed by shock and sorrow on Thursday as the death toll from Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades continued to rise, leaving families grieving those confirmed dead while others begged for news of relatives still missing.

Dozens gathered near the scorched residential blocks, some holding photographs, others anxiously checking their phones as they waited for updates, according to the South China Morning Post. 

Many had spent the night shifting between community centres and temporary shelters, hoping authorities would confirm whether their loved ones had escaped the fast-moving blaze.

For families already confronted with the worst news, the grief was palpable. 

Mourners placed flowers and lit incense along cordoned-off walkways, while volunteers handed out water and tissues to residents struggling to process the scale of the tragedy.

A woman surnamed Chan said she had been searching for her sister since Wednesday night.

“I’ve been to every shelter, every centre,” she said, her voice shaking. “No one has seen her. I don’t know where else to go.”

Others voiced frustration over the slow pace of information, saying they felt trapped in a cycle of fear and diminishing hope. 

With hundreds initially reported missing, relatives queued to check lists, speak with officials or attempt to identify victims from photographs shown inside community halls.

The blaze, which ripped through the eight-block estate with alarming speed, has left the district in shock. 

Residents described watching helplessly as flames spread from building to building, fuelled by bamboo scaffolding wrapped in renovation material.

Local social workers said they were trying to support displaced and traumatised residents, but many remained in profound distress.

“Some are numb. Some break down the moment they speak,” one counsellor said. “They just want answers.”

Authorities expect the casualty numbers to climb as search teams continue combing badly burned units. For now, Tai Po remains gripped by grief and uncertainty — a community waiting in the quiet left by those who have not yet returned home.