This election took place as many were mourning a devastating fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po district last month that killed nearly 160 people. Around 1.3 million voted out of around 4.1 million registered voters in the city, which has a population of more than seven million.

HONG KONG, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's election on Sunday saw a near-record-low turnout after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years prompted anger against its China-backed authorities, but voter participation edged higher than in the previous vote four years ago.

Hong Kong's election on Sunday (Dec 7) saw a near-record-low turnout after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years prompted anger against its China-backed authorities, but voter participation edged higher than in the previous vote four years ago.

After the results of the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) were unveiled early on Monday, several central government agencies on the Hong Kong affairs extended congratulations to the LegCo members elected.

As the death toll in the Hong Kong apartment complex fire tops 150, Chinese authorities seek to stifle criticism amid new revelations of safety violations.

Official efforts to control the public response include a threat to arrest those who direct their anger at the government.

Hong Kong’s worst residential fire in more than half a century is triggering worries that a swathe of the high-rise housing common in China’s cities could be susceptible to similar safety risks.

The provisional turnout rate was 31.9 per cent, according to a government statement. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Hong Kong voter turnout will be in focus in an election on Sunday, with the population still grieving and traumatized after the worst fire in nearly 80 years that has seen a scramble to avoid broader backlash.

An arm of the Chinese government warned foreign media outlets Saturday against covering a Nov. 26 Hong Kong high-rise fire which left at least 159 dead in a manner painting Beijing in a negative light.