Hong Kong: Tai Po District Councilor Mui Siu-fung told BBC Chinese that more than a thousand evacuees have already moved into nearby shelters following the massive blaze at Wang Fuk Court. The estate, he explained, consists of eight residential towers, all of which are currently undergoing extensive renovation work. According to Mui, seven of the eight blocks sustained damage, with large portions of the exterior bamboo scaffolding burned or collapsed.
Describing the moment the fire erupted, Mui said the block where the blaze originated was visibly engulfed from within. “You could clearly see the flames through the windows,” he recalled. The only tower that did not burn had a brief flare-up, but Mui noted that firefighters quickly extinguished it from ground level before it could spread, preventing it from becoming another major hotspot.
Mui also emphasized that firefighters have been unable to safely enter the affected towers due to unstable conditions, heavy smoke, and the risk of structural collapse, making search-and-rescue operations extremely difficult. He said evacuations began steadily around 3:00 PM local time (07:00 GMT) as residents were guided out in phases. “By now, I believe about 95% of the residents have already been evacuated,” he added, noting that three neighbouring public housing blocks were also cleared as a precaution.
At one key evacuation point near the fire site the Kwong Fuk Shopping Centre Mui estimated that well over a thousand displaced residents had gathered while awaiting further assistance. In response to the growing number of evacuees, the Home Affairs Department has opened multiple community centres as temporary shelters, and several schools have also been designated as relocation sites for families forced from their homes.