Hong Kong has been rocked by its deadliest fire in more than half a century, after a massive blaze ripped through the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in the Tai Po district, killing at least 83 people and injuring dozens more. Hundreds were initially unaccounted for, and authorities say scores of residents remain missing as rescue teams continue to search the charred high-rises.
Inferno rips through Wang Fuk Court
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court public housing estate, a cluster of eight residential towers in northern Tai Po that together house nearly 2,000 flats and about 4,800 residents. Flames rapidly climbed the exterior of a 32‑storey block before spreading to seven of the estate’s eight towers, sending thick black smoke billowing over the New Territories and forcing hundreds of people to flee or shelter in place. Firefighters battled the blaze into a second day, eventually bringing it under control, but officials say full extinguishing and floor‑by‑floor searches are still under way.
Scaffolding and foam blamed for spread
Preliminary investigations point to renovation work on the estate as a key factor in how quickly the fire spread, with all eight towers wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting since mid‑2024. Police and fire officials say highly flammable foam panels and other materials installed around lift lobbies and external surfaces appear to have acted as fuel, allowing flames to race up and across the buildings and into corridors and flats. The blaze grew so intense that rescuers struggled to enter lower floors, describing “unusual” fire behaviour compared with typical high‑rise incidents in the city.
Arrests and criminal investigation
Anger over the disaster escalated as police announced the arrest of three senior figures from the construction firm handling Wang Fuk Court’s renovation, including two company directors and an engineering consultant, on suspicion of manslaughter. Investigators say they believe the company’s responsible officers were grossly negligent in their choice and use of materials, and that safety rules for façade work and scaffolding were breached or ignored. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee has ordered a criminal probe into the fire, emergency inspections of other estates under renovation, and a review of the long‑standing use of bamboo scaffolding, while also pledging hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars in relief funds for affected residents.
Families wait as hundreds displaced
At the height of the crisis, around 900 residents took refuge in makeshift shelters set up in schools and community halls, where they received food, water and temporary bedding while waiting for news of their homes and loved ones. Outside hospitals and shelter centres, families have queued to register missing relatives, checking handwritten lists and official notices as authorities work to match bodies and survivors with names from the estate’s thousands of residents. Among the dead is a 37‑year‑old firefighter who collapsed during rescue operations and later died in hospital, becoming a symbol of the risks first responders took as Hong Kong mourns one of the darkest disasters in its modern history.
