The devastating blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, has now claimed 128 lives, with more victims feared inside the still-smouldering building. Some 200 people remain unaccounted for based on missing-person reports, including dozens of bodies yet to be positively identified. Among the casualties are at least two Indonesian nationals, while two more have been injured. Pope Leo XIV has sent a message of condolence to Hong Kong’s Catholic community, assuring “spiritual closeness to all affected by this tragedy, particularly the injured and grieving families”. In the letter, delivered through Cardinal Pietro Parolin to Cardinal Stephen Chow, he entrusted the deceased “to the loving mercy of Almighty God” and prayed for emergency personnel who continue to search and provide medical assistance to those still missing. The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of sympathy from abroad. Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi were among the world leaders who offered their condolences. Foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, Finland, Ireland and Thailand also voiced their sorrow, while consulates in Hong Kong, including those of the United States, the European Union, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, paid tribute to rescue workers and mourned the dead. The Swedish Consulate General in Hong Kong added that the strength and unity of the Tai Po community stand as a beacon of hope.