At least 44 people have died in a massive high-rise fire in Hong Kong, officials confirmed on Thursday, as the blaze continued to burn and hundreds of residents were still missing. Police said three men had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, though they did not reveal details about their alleged roles.
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at Wang Fuk Court, a large residential complex in the Tai Po district with around 2,000 apartments. The flames spread quickly across several buildings, reportedly starting on bamboo scaffolding that had been put up for estate-wide maintenance work.
An AFP reporter at the scene saw huge plumes of smoke rising into the sky and heard loud cracking sounds from the burning scaffolding. Flames were seen shooting out of apartment windows as debris fell onto the streets.
A 65-year-old resident, Yuen, who has lived in the complex for more than 40 years, said many of his neighbours were elderly and unable to move quickly. “Some people didn’t even know there was a fire because their windows were closed for the maintenance work,” he said. “They had to be warned by neighbours over phone calls. I’m devastated. There is loss of property and loss of life, and even a firefighter has died.”
More than 900 people have taken shelter in temporary centres, according to Hong Kong’s leader John Lee. A police officer at one of the shelters said many families were still arriving late at night to report missing loved ones. “We don’t yet know how many people are unaccounted for,” he said.
Fire officials said strong winds and burning debris likely caused the flames to jump from one building to another. Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of fire service operations, said rescue teams were facing severe challenges. “The temperature is extremely high. There are some floors where we have not been able to reach people who requested help, but we will keep trying,” he said.
Residents described the scene as terrifying. A 57-year-old local resident, Ms. So, said, “It’s heartbreaking. We only hope everyone, young and old, can come out safely.” Another resident, a man in his 40s, said he was too afraid to leave. “The fire is not yet under control. I don’t know what I can do,” he said.
Authorities have closed parts of a nearby highway and evacuated people from surrounding buildings. Two temporary shelters have been opened and a casualty-reporting hotline is active.
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences, including for the firefighter who died. State media said he urged authorities to “make every effort to extinguish the fire and minimise casualties.”
Large-scale fires used to be more common in Hong Kong’s crowded neighbourhoods, but strict safety measures have reduced such disasters in recent decades. Even so, the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims said it was “deeply concerned” about fires linked to bamboo scaffolding, noting several similar incidents in recent months.
Authorities have launched an investigation into both the cause of the fire and the materials used on the building’s exterior, amid fears that they may have accelerated the spread of the blaze.
