ONE overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has been hospitalized in connection with the fire that engulfed seven high-rise buildings in the Tai Po District, Hong Kong, while 19 other Filipinos have been confirmed safe, according to reports on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
The death toll from the fire has risen to 65. The hospitalized OFW was with her employer and the employer’s baby, according to information from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). This OFW is believed to be the voice in a viral audio recording pleading for help during the fire.
Approximately 70 to 80 OFWs have registered addresses in the housing complex. It remains unconfirmed whether Filipinos were trapped or confined inside the burning buildings at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac urged caution against spreading panic among families in the Philippines, as the OFWs may be in other locations. OWWA and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) are continuing to check shelters and hospitals to locate any affected Filipinos.
Nineteen Filipinos have been confirmed to be safe. OWWA Administrator PY Caunan stated that assistance is being provided to those who lost their passports and employment contracts due to the fire. The DMW is closely coordinating with them and providing food packs, assistance, dignity kits, and other necessities.
The DMW has appealed to Filipinos in Hong Kong to report any information about fellow Filipinos affected by the tragedy to the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, the Migrant Workers Office Hong Kong, or OWWA Hong Kong. Contact numbers and email addresses for these agencies have been provided.
Recent reports from Reuters indicate that the death toll has reached 65, with approximately 300 people missing. The fire has been brought under control in four buildings. The Hong Kong Fire Department has stated that this is the highest number of fatalities in a fire in seven decades. Two officials from a construction firm have been arrested for allegedly using unsafe materials, such as foam plastic, in the renovation of the buildings.
