Hong Kong: The massive fire that tore through a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong has killed 55 people, authorities confirmed on Thursday, marking one of the deadliest urban disasters the city has witnessed in decades. The tragedy has sparked intense grief, urgent rescue efforts, and mounting questions over construction safety.
Officials reported that 51 bodies were discovered at the scene, while four additional victims died after being rushed to hospital, bringing the death toll to 55. More than 70 residents were injured, many suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation. Firefighters, exhausted yet relentless, continued battling the remnants of the inferno for a second day, warning that operations could extend until late Thursday due to unstable structures and ongoing hotspots.
The blaze erupted Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, a densely populated district near the mainland border. In a matter of hours, the fire spread across seven of the estate’s eight towers, with thick black smoke billowing into the skies even by midday Thursday. While four buildings were brought under control by the morning, much of the site remained dangerous and inaccessible.
One firefighter was also killed in the line of duty, adding to the emotional toll on emergency personnel and the wider community.
Dozens of families anxiously awaited news about missing relatives. Among them was Lawrence Lee, whose wife was last seen trapped in their apartment.
“When the fire broke out, I urged her to escape,” he said from a temporary shelter. “But the hallways were filled with smoke. She had to go back. There was no safe exit.”
Others recalled seeing sparks flying as they evacuated. Winter and Sandy Chung, who lived in one of the affected towers, said they could not sleep all night, fearing for their home and unable to process the scale of the tragedy.
In a dramatic development, police arrested three men the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter. While authorities did not publicly name the firm, local outlets reported that investigators searched the offices of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, seizing boxes of documents as evidence.
Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung said there was strong reason to believe that “gross negligence” by those responsible for renovation work contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
Investigators discovered that some exterior wall materials failed to meet fire resistance standards, potentially accelerating the flames. Police also found highly flammable Styrofoam attached near elevator lobbies in one of the towers, raising further alarm about safety violations.
Authorities said the fire likely started on external scaffolding at a 32-story tower before racing upward through bamboo scaffolding and nylon construction netting. Strong winds then pushed the fire inside apartments and across adjacent buildings. Firefighters deployed aerial ladders and water jets, but intense heat and collapsed scaffolding repeatedly slowed rescue work.
The housing estate, built in the 1980s, contains nearly 2,000 apartments housing about 4,800 people, many of them elderly. Around 900 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters. Early Thursday morning, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said contact had been lost with 279 residents, though updated figures were not yet available.
Following the tragedy, Chief Executive Lee ordered immediate inspections across all Hong Kong housing estates undergoing major repair works to ensure scaffolding and materials meet safety standards.
The disaster has reignited debate over Hong Kong’s continued reliance on bamboo scaffolding a practice phased out in mainland China for residential projects but still widely used in the city.
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed sorrow over the firefighter’s death and extended condolences to the victims’ families, urging authorities to make every effort to prevent further casualties.
This fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades, surpassing even the 1996 Kowloon blaze that killed 41 people and burned for nearly 20 hours. As emergency crews continue their search and families await answers, Hong Kong faces not just a deep human tragedy but a wake-up call demanding accountability, reform, and immediate improvements in public safety standards.