HONG KONG – Forensic specialists are grappling with unprecedented challenges identifying victims following the catastrophic No. 5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court on December 3, 2025. The intense and prolonged inferno tragically claimed 159 lives, leaving 19 remains yet to be formally confirmed and 31 individuals officially listed as unaccounted for, raising grim concerns that the total death toll may climb and some victims may never be recovered or identified conventionally.
The fire’s severity, which appears to have exceeded typical residential blazes, has complicated disaster victim identification (DVI) efforts, forcing investigators to explore alternative forensic techniques beyond standard DNA sampling. Police DVI teams returned to the precarious scene on December 3 to continue the difficult search and recovery operation.
Extreme Heat Hinders DNA Identification
While forensic identification usually relies on external tissues, the intensity and duration of the Wang Fuk Court fire have resulted in some remains being reduced to ash or rendered unrecognizable. Experts explain that in such catastrophic cases, investigators must turn to deeper structures—specifically bones or teeth—for viable DNA samples.
However, heat exposure presents a significant hurdle. Dr. Carl Leung, a forensic medical expert, pointed out that research indicates a single tooth exposed to temperatures near 1,100°C for five to six hours can disintegrate beyond the point of DNA retrieval.
“Ordinary domestic fires typically reach temperatures around 600–700°C,” Dr. Leung noted. “The Wang Fuk Court blaze appears to have burned significantly hotter and longer, drastically increasing the likelihood of complete dental DNA destruction.”
Dental DNA is primarily located within the pulp and the materials surrounding the tooth root. Although teeth are notoriously resilient and can often survive high heat, the prolonged, elevated temperatures experienced in this incident may have destroyed the genetic material housed inside.
Relying on Trace Evidence and Implants
The complexity of the identification process compounds the agony for families awaiting news. Police officers have acknowledged that the condition of some remains might preclude recovery, or at least conventional identification methods.
Forensic practitioners are now exploring secondary identification methods. When DNA extraction becomes impossible, investigators must rely on items associated with the victim or unique medical identifiers.
Alternative Identification Techniques:
- Personal Property: Jewelry, identification cards, or distinct clothing fragments recovered with the remains.
- Medical Devices: Serial numbers from implanted medical hardware, such as pacemakers or hip replacements, which are often engineered to withstand extreme conditions and can be cross-referenced with medical records.
- Dental Records: Comparing pre-mortem dental charting and X-rays if non-DNA elements of the teeth or jawbone remain intact.
The arduous recovery effort underscores the need for robust disaster preparedness protocolos and specialized forensic training to address highly destructive urban incidents. As the search continues, authorities are urging affected families to provide comprehensive medical and dental records promptly to assist the ongoing, challenging identification process.