A massive fire ripped through a residential housing complex in Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, leaving at least 55 people dead and hundreds still unaccounted for, officials said on Thursday.
Flames broke out around 2:50 p.m. local time and quickly engulfed several of the estate’s eight high-rise towers. The buildings were undergoing renovation and covered in bamboo scaffolding and green safety mesh elements that investigators say likely contributed to the blaze’s rapid spread.
First responders deployed more than 128 fire engines and nearly 800 firefighters, but thick smoke, blistering heat, and collapsing scaffolding made rescue operations extremely difficult.
Authorities say about 2,000 flats in the complex housed roughly 4,800 people, and nearly 900 residents have now been displaced to temporary shelters. At least 279 people remain missing, and dozens of others are hospitalized with burn or smoke-inhalation injuries.
Police have arrested three men, two directors of the construction firm and an engineering consultant, on suspicion of manslaughter, citing “gross negligence” tied to the use of unsafe construction materials. Investigators have flagged foam insulation and other highly flammable materials around windows as possible accelerants.
The city’s leader, John Lee, said all public housing estates currently undergoing renovations will be inspected immediately for safety compliance.
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