A catastrophic fire has torn through a residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, claiming at least 44 lives with 279 people still reported missing as rescue efforts continue into Thursday morning.
Emergency Response and Rescue Efforts
Firefighters are battling immense challenges as they work to control the blaze that has consumed multiple high-rise buildings at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate. The inferno, which began on Wednesday afternoon, quickly escalated to a level five alarm - the highest severity rating in Hong Kong's fire warning system.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations, described the difficult conditions facing rescue teams. "Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings is falling down," he reported. "The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It's difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations."
Scale of the Disaster
The fire service deployed an enormous response team to tackle the emergency, with 767 firefighters working at the scene supported by more than 140 fire trucks and over 60 ambulances. The department confirmed receiving "numerous" distress calls from residents trapped inside their homes as the fire spread rapidly.
The Wang Fuk Court complex, home to approximately 4,800 residents including many elderly people, contains nearly 2,000 flats across eight buildings. The fire has affected seven of these 32-storey towers, with the blaze beginning on external scaffolding before spreading inside the structures and to neighbouring buildings.
By Thursday morning local time, authorities had evacuated approximately 900 people to temporary shelters, while at least 29 injured individuals remained hospitalised. The death toll includes a 37-year-old firefighter who lost his life in the rescue operation, with another firefighter receiving treatment for heat exhaustion.
Investigation and Community Impact
Police have arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire, as authorities launch an investigation into whether construction materials used in the renovation met fire resistance standards. The rapid spread of flames has raised serious questions about safety protocols.
The residential estate, built in the 1980s, had been undergoing major renovations at the time of the fire. Bamboo scaffolding and construction netting covering the building exteriors contributed to the swift escalation of the blaze, with flames and thick smoke visible from kilometres away as night fell.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has expressed condolences to the family of the deceased firefighter and extended sympathies to all victims' families, while urging continued efforts to minimise casualties and losses. Local residents expressed their devastation, with one resident surnamed Wu telling TVB: "I've given up thinking about my property. Watching it burn like that was really frustrating."
This tragedy represents Hong Kong's deadliest fire in years, occurring in the suburban Tai Po area of the New Territories, near the border with mainland China's Shenzhen city. The Hong Kong government had previously announced plans to phase out bamboo scaffolding on public projects due to safety concerns, though it remains common throughout the territory.
