HONG KONG: The death toll from a massive blaze that tore through a high-rise housing complex in Hong Kong has climbed to 55, officials said on Thursday, as rescue teams continued searching for nearly 300 people still unaccounted for in the city’s deadliest fire in decades.
The inferno, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district, has burned for more than 24 hours. Firefighters are struggling to reach upper floors due to intense heat, thick smoke, and collapsing scaffolding, raising fears that the number of casualties will continue to rise.
The complex — made up of eight residential blocks with more than 2,000 units — is home to over 4,600 residents, many of them elderly. More than 56 people remain in hospital, including dozens in critical condition.
Police said they have arrested three men from a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter, alleging gross negligence during renovation works allowed the fire to spread rapidly. Investigators cited the use of flammable foam materials, sealed windows, and plastic-covered scaffolding as possible factors.
Families of missing residents gathered at shelters and aid centres across the district, searching for loved ones as authorities released lists of the injured and displaced. Indonesia confirmed two of its migrant workers were among the dead.
The disaster has prompted comparisons to London’s 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, with growing anger over building standards in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
As night fell again over Tai Po, firefighters continued battling flames inside several blocks, while residents who escaped the blaze waited anxiously for news — fearing that the death toll, already Hong Kong’s highest since 1948, could rise further.
Authorities confirmed that three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, accusing them of “gross negligence” linked to the rapid spread of the inferno. The fire raced across the linked residential blocks, home to a large number of elderly residents, trapping many as flames engulfed multiple towers.
The blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon and quickly escalated, prompting the Fire Services Department to raise the alarm to its highest level within hours. More than 800 firefighters and paramedics and over 140 fire engines have been deployed, with drones used to locate trapped residents.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu described the disaster as an “unprecedented catastrophe,” saying the scale of destruction shocked a city known for its strict construction rules and robust public-safety system.
Why was this fire so deadly?
According to CNN, officials and experts are now asking how such a devastating blaze could occur in a city of towering skyscrapers equipped with modern fire-safety measures. Though Hong Kong’s dense urban layout makes fires relatively common, fatalities have historically been low.
But data shows a worrying trend:
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33 fire-related deaths in 2024
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31 deaths in 2023 — the highest in 22 years
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12 deaths in 2013
For comparison, New York City, with a similar population size, recorded:
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78 fire deaths in 2024
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104 deaths in 2023
Investigators believe flammable materials, electrical faults, and cooking-related accidents remain major causes of Hong Kong’s recent fire fatalities.
Buildings still burning
Several blocks of the complex in Tai Po — known as Wang Fuk Court — remained ablaze late into the night. Emergency crews say more than 1,900 apartments were impacted and that many elderly residents may still be unaccounted for. Classes at six nearby schools have been suspended due to road closures and heavy smoke.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences and called for “all-out efforts” to reduce further casualties.
Rescue operations and structural assessments are ongoing, with authorities warning that the final death toll could rise significantly.
