Hong Kong: catastrophic fire ripped through a large residential housing estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 36 people and leaving around 279 unaccounted for, officials said. 

The flames broke out at approximately 2:51 p.m. local time in the estate known as Wang Fuk Court a subsidised home-ownership complex comprising eight high-rise towers and roughly 2,000 flats. At the time of the blaze, the buildings were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh for ongoing repairs materials which authorities say helped spread the fire rapidly. 

Within hours, the fire was upgraded to a level-5 alarm the highest emergency rating in Hong Kong’s system mobilizing more than 120 fire engines and hundreds of firefighters and emergency personnel. As night descended, many towers were still ablaze, with thick plumes of smoke rising over the district and debris from collapsing scaffolding falling unpredictably. 

Rescue operations stretched into the night. Firefighters struggled to reach upper floors amid intense heat and dangerous conditions, while nearby streets were cordoned off and evacuees gathered in temporary shelters. One heartbreaking moment came when a 71-year-old resident named “Wong” wept as he said his wife remained trapped inside the burning buildings.

Among the dead was a firefighter one of those who had rushed in to combat the blaze. Authorities also confirmed that dozens more were injured, and at least 29 were hospitalised. 

The disaster marks the deadliest residential fire Hong Kong has witnessed in nearly three decades a grim reminder of the hazards posed by flammable makeshift scaffolding in dense urban housing estates. 

As rescue teams continue to search for missing residents and authorities begin an investigation into the fire’s origin, questions are being raised about housing safety standards, especially in older public housing estates already undergoing renovation under possibly compromised conditions. The human cost including lives lost, families shattered, and homes destroyed has already sparked shock, grief and outrage across the city.