Hong Kong: A massive fire tore through multiple high-rise residential blocks in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, killing at least 55 people, including a firefighter, and injuring more than 77 others.
Authorities struggled to contain the blaze as thick black smoke and towering flames swept across eight buildings in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, which houses nearly 2,000 apartments and around 4,800 residents.
The fire that started midafternoon Wednesday had spread across seven of the complex’s eight buildings, and four of the towers were under control by morning, the city’s fire services said. Strong winds helped the blaze spread quickly across bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh surrounding the buildings, which had been undergoing a year-long renovation costing roughly HK$330 million. Dozens of residents watched in shock as the flames consumed their homes. Temporary shelters have been opened for those left homeless by the fire.
Fire authorities deployed 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances, upgrading the incident to a level 5 alarm, Hong Kong’s highest. Firefighters faced additional challenges from the bamboo scaffolding, which the government began phasing out earlier this year for safety reasons, and the tight urban environment of the densely populated Tai Po district.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though officials said it appeared to have started on the scaffolding outside one building before spreading inside and to neighboring blocks. Earlier today, police announced the arrest of two directors and an engineering consultant from the construction company doing maintenance at the building.
Police said in addition to the buildings being covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that may not meet fire standards, they discovered some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material, installed by the construction company carrying out year-long maintenance work.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee convened an emergency meeting, assuring full government assistance for affected residents. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort to extinguish the fire and minimize casualties, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and the firefighter who died.
The blaze forced the closure of a major section of Tai Po Road, one of Hong Kong’s key highways, with buses diverted and at least six schools closed on Thursday due to traffic disruptions.
The complex, part of the government’s subsidized home ownership program, has been occupied since 1983 and represents one of the many high-rise residential clusters in Hong Kong, where space is limited, and home ownership is a distant dream for many. The Chinese Red Cross has announced 2 million yuan ($280,000) in funds to support rescue and relief.
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and one of the world’s most expensive housing markets. Located near the border with mainland China, Tai Po is an established suburban district with some 300,000 residents.
Hong Kong has a history of deadly fires in high-rises, including a 1996 blaze in Kowloon that killed 41 people and led to significant updates in building and fire safety regulations.
