Firefighters in Hong Kong are carrying out a final, desperate search for survivors after a catastrophic fire tore through a high-rise apartment complex, claiming at least 94 lives in one of the city's worst fire disasters in decades.
The Final Push for Survivors
On Friday, 28 November 2025, fire crews began a meticulous, apartment-by-apartment sweep of the Wang Fuk Court complex in the Tai Po district. This marks the final attempt to locate anyone alive before officials formally conclude the rescue phase of the operation.
Deputy Director of Hong Kong Fire Services, Wong Ka Wing, stated that crews are prioritising units from which they received more than two dozen calls for help during the blaze but were unable to reach. "Our firefighting operation is almost complete," Wong told reporters early Friday morning. He confirmed that an updated count of the missing cannot be determined until this final search is finished.
How the Disaster Unfolded
The inferno began on Wednesday afternoon in one of the complex's eight towers. It spread with terrifying speed, leaping from building to building as bamboo scaffolding and netting, installed for ongoing renovations, caught fire. The flames ultimately engulfed seven of the eight towers.
It took a force of more than 1,000 firefighters approximately 24 hours to bring the five-alarm blaze under control. Even nearly two days later, smoke continued to drift from the charred structures due to occasional flare-ups.
The scale of the tragedy is immense. The complex contained almost 2,000 apartments and was home to around 4,800 residents, many of whom were older. Hong Kong leader John Lee revealed that officials had lost contact with 279 residents in the immediate aftermath.
Aftermath and Investigation
The consequences of the fire are staggering. In addition to the 94 confirmed fatalities, more than 70 people were injured, including 11 firefighters. Approximately 900 survivors have been housed in temporary shelters.
Authorities have swiftly moved to investigate the cause. The blaze is now the focus of a major probe, with Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency investigating possible corruption linked to the renovation project.
Police have arrested three men—directors and an engineering consultant from the construction company in charge of the renovations—on suspicion of manslaughter. The company, identified as Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, is suspected of gross negligence. Police have seized documents from its offices.
Initial findings suggest that materials on the exterior walls did not meet fire resistance standards, contributing to the fire's unusually rapid spread. In the one unaffected tower, police discovered highly flammable plastic foam panels attached to windows, believed to have been installed by the construction company.
In response, authorities have ordered immediate inspections of all housing estates undergoing major renovations to ensure scaffolding and materials comply with safety standards. This tragedy has cast a harsh light on building safety regulations in the city, marking the deadliest fire since a 1996 blaze in Kowloon that killed 41 people.
