The death toll resulting from the deadliest fire in decades in Hong Kong has now climbed to 55.
Initially, 51 individuals were discovered deceased at the site of the incident, with an additional four succumbing to their injuries in a hospital following a devastating fire that swept through multiple apartment buildings in the northern Tai Po district on Wednesday.
A massive firefighting operation involving 767 firefighters has been underway since the blaze erupted at one of the structures within the Wang Fuk Court complex at 2.51 pm local time (6.51 am GMT), subsequently spreading to neighboring blocks. Thick smoke persisted on Thursday, emanating from the complex which accommodates approximately 4,600 residents across nearly 2,000 flats within eight buildings.
Fire outbreaks in four edifices have been successfully extinguished, with the remaining three towers brought under control. Authorities anticipate that operations may extend into Thursday evening.
Tragically, firefighter Ho Wai-ho lost his life during the fire suppression efforts. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung expressed deep sorrow over Ho’s demise, stating, “I am profoundly grieved at the passing of Mr. Ho, who lost his life in the course of an operation.”
More than 70 individuals sustained injuries, many suffering from burn and inhalation-related conditions, as reported by the city’s Hospital Authority.
Resident Lawrence Lee recounted the harrowing experience of his wife being trapped in their dwelling during the fire outbreak. He narrated, “When the fire started, I told her on the phone to escape. But once she left the flat, the corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark, so she had no choice but to go back to the flat,” while awaiting assistance in a shelter overnight.
Approximately 900 individuals were evacuated to temporary shelters. Winter and Sandy Chung, residents of the complex, described witnessing sparks flying around them during the evacuation process. Mr. Chung, aged 75, expressed, “I couldn’t sleep the entire night,” in an interview with AP on Thursday.
Three individuals, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction firm, have been detained on suspicion of manslaughter. The company in question has not been publicly identified by the police.
Supt. Eileen Chung commented, “We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent.” Police conducted a search at the premises of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, suspected to be responsible for renovations at the complex, seizing boxes of documents as potential evidence, according to local sources.
Authorities suspect that the rapid spread of the fire was facilitated by the use of materials on the exterior of the buildings that failed to meet fire safety standards. Notably, highly flammable Styrofoam was observed attached to windows on every floor near the elevator lobby of the sole unaffected block, prompting further investigation into these materials, as mentioned by Tang.
The fire originated on the external scaffolding of Wang Cheong House and propagated along bamboo scaffolding and construction netting into the building before extending to adjacent structures.
Australian fire safety specialist Alex Webb described the incident as “quite shocking,” highlighting that building regulations mandate sufficient spacing to hinder the spread of fires beyond the point of origin. “Typically, they don’t spread beyond the building of origin,” Webb elaborated.
Reports from local broadcaster TVB indicated ongoing major renovations at the complex, constructed in the 1980s and predominantly covered in bamboo scaffolding instead of steel. Despite Hong Kong’s widespread use of bamboo scaffolding, concerns over safety have prompted efforts by the government’s development department to phase out this practice, as per reports from March.
Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed condolences to the family of the deceased firefighter and other victims’ families, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
Hong Kong leader John Lee disclosed shortly after midnight that communications had been lost with 279 individuals, emphasizing the continuation of rescue operations.