TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed condolences to the families of victims of the catastrophic residential fire in Hong Kong, where at least 128 individuals have been confirmed dead and nearly 200 remain unaccounted for.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei conveyed the sympathy of the Iranian government and people to the families of those killed, as well as to Chinese authorities. He also wished a swift recovery for the dozens injured in the blaze.

Officials said the fire—one of the deadliest to strike the city in decades—was brought under control 42 hours after it first erupted in a densely populated public housing estate in Tai Po. At least 79 residents were injured, and the death toll may rise further as hundreds remain missing.

The fire began on the lower floors of Wang Cheong House, part of the eight-tower Wang Fuk Court complex that housed more than 4,000 residents, many of them elderly. The estate was undergoing renovation at the time, and all buildings were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green protective mesh. Investigators found flammable polystyrene boards—bearing the name of a construction company—blocking several windows, which officials said helped the flames spread rapidly across multiple buildings.

“The mesh nets ignited and quickly spread to the polystyrene boards around the windows, resulting in fires in other floors and buildings,” an official statement read, adding that the extreme heat shattered windows and allowed the fire to move indoors.

Firefighters faced hazardous conditions, with temperatures inside parts of the building reportedly exceeding 500°C (930°F). Falling scaffolding and reigniting units also hampered their efforts. Authorities said fire alarms across all eight buildings in the complex were found to be nonfunctional following inspections.

A police investigation into the cause of the blaze and the rapid spread across the estate is expected to take several weeks. Meanwhile, displaced residents—many spending a third night in temporary shelters—are calling for answers as recovery teams continue searching through the ruins for the missing.