(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Thirteen Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are still missing after the Hong Kong high-rise fire earlier this week, according to the Philippine Consulate.

Speaking to DZMM Teleradyo on Saturday (November 29), Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Romulo Victor Israel Jr. - as reported by ABS-CBN News - said officials are still verifying the whereabouts of 13 Filipinos listed as residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the building that caught fire on Wednesday (November 26).

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The government's database recorded 83 Filipinos with addresses in the inflamed Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Tai Po district in Hong Kong. Of that number, 70 have already been accounted for and confirmed safe. Many had either returned to the Philippines or relocated to a different address prior to the incident, Israel added.

Authorities are particularly concerned about one missing Filipina who may have been inside the building when the blaze erupted.

“There's a possibility she is among the fatalities, but we are still verifying at this moment,” Israel said, adding that authorities are still searching for her.

He also noted that a family member of the missing OFW, along with her employer, will help check whether she is among the still-unidentified victims.

For now, the Filipinos displaced by the fire are being housed in temporary shelters arranged by the Hong Kong government. "I believe they also have a plan to rehome our workers and give them the chance to look for another opportunity to work in case their employers cannot absorb them anymore," he said.

Israel also confirmed that the Filipina who was earlier reported to be in the hospital's intensive care unit remains in stable condition.

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