Hong Kong has been plunged into grief and disbelief after a massive blaze tore through several high-rise buildings in the Tai Po district, marking one of the deadliest fire disasters in the city’s recent history. For a second consecutive day, firefighters battled stubborn flames at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, where at least 44 people have been confirmed dead and more than 70 injured. Among the fatalities was a firefighter who died while attempting to rescue trapped residents.
The fire, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon, spread with frightening speed across seven of the estate’s eight towers—an unusual but devastating escalation that forced emergency responders into a prolonged overnight operation. By early Thursday, authorities confirmed that four of the affected buildings had been brought under control. Still, dense columns of smoke continued to pour from upper floors, making visibility difficult and rendering parts of the structure inaccessible.
The disaster has shaken Hong Kong to the core, leaving residents traumatised and families desperately searching for loved ones. Survivors described a nightmare unfolding in minutes as smoke filled corridors and flames leaped across scaffolding installed for ongoing renovation works.
For Lawrence Lee, a resident of the estate, the night was one of despair. He waited anxiously at a temporary shelter for news about his wife, who became trapped when a thick cloud of smoke engulfed the hallway outside their apartment.
“Once she stepped out, everything turned dark instantly. The smoke was everywhere. She had no choice but to run back into the flat,” Lee recounted with visible distress.
Another resident, 75-year-old Winter Chung, recalled the harrowing moment when sparks and burning debris rained down from upper levels as he and his family rushed to evacuate.
“I couldn’t sleep the entire night,” he said quietly, still unsure whether his home—and everything in it—had survived the inferno.
In response to rising public concern, Hong Kong police moved swiftly, arresting three construction executives—a pair of company directors and an engineering consultant—on suspicion of manslaughter. Authorities believe these individuals may have played a role in creating conditions that fuelled the fire’s rapid spread. Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung confirmed that investigators had “reason to believe” those overseeing the renovation displayed gross negligence.
Hours after the arrests, police officers conducted a raid at the headquarters of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, the firm responsible for the renovation project. Boxes of documents were seized for further analysis. As of press time, the company had not responded to repeated requests for comment.
Preliminary investigations point to alarming findings. Authorities discovered that Styrofoam—a highly flammable material—had been fixed to window structures around the elevator lobby of one of the buildings. Although that specific tower was not among the worst hit, the discovery raised serious questions about compliance with safety guidelines. Inspectors also believe the fire may have originated from scaffolding attached to a 32-storey block before racing up bamboo structures and construction netting—a scenario worsened by strong winds that acted as a bellows, pushing flames across adjacent buildings.
Fire crews used ladder trucks and high-pressure water jets to attack the blaze from multiple angles, but intense heat, limited visibility, and the rapid collapse of portions of the scaffolding created significant obstacles. Emergency services worked throughout the night, rescuing trapped individuals and ushering frightened residents into safe zones.
Wang Fuk Court, constructed in the 1980s, is home to approximately 4,800 people across nearly 2,000 apartments. The scale of evacuation efforts was immense. By midnight, around 900 residents had been escorted to safety, while authorities struggled to account for hundreds more. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee later confirmed that contact had initially been lost with 279 residents, although updated figures were pending verification.
In a televised address, Lee announced sweeping emergency measures, including immediate inspections of renovation sites citywide. “We must ensure that all scaffolding, materials, and construction processes fully comply with safety standards. This tragedy must never be repeated,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent condolences to the victims’ families and urged local authorities to prevent further casualties during the ongoing rescue and recovery operations.
For many in Hong Kong, the tragedy has reopened long-standing concerns about building safety, the quality of construction materials used in renovations, and accountability within the construction industry. The incident now stands as the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in several decades, surpassing the infamous 1996 blaze in a Kowloon commercial building that claimed 41 lives during a grueling 20-hour firefight.
As investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events that led to this catastrophe, grieving families, displaced residents, and the entire city are left confronting painful questions about how such a disaster could unfold in one of Asia’s most modern urban centres.
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