Support fund for residential complex fire totals 4 bln HKD: HKSAR gov't

HONG KONG, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The support fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, totaled about 4 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 514 million U.S. dollars) as of Saturday.

The fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support, the HKSAR government said.

As of this morning, a total of 581 residents are staying in hotel rooms through the coordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, and 559 residents are staying in youth hostels or camps. Another 3,513 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the Hong Kong Housing Society or an interim housing site in Tuen Mun.

The death toll from the major fire in the residential complex Wang Fuk Court has reached 161, with identification of all victims through DNA tests still in progress, the HKSAR government said.