At least 14 killed in Hong Kong high-rise fire as flames engulf residential towers

Firefighters battled the intense orange flames throughout the night, with thick black smoke billowing from the 32-storey towers, which were surrounded by bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh. The government had started phasing out bamboo scaffolding in March due to safety concerns, but it was still in use at the site. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Authorities reported difficulties in accessing the upper floors of the buildings due to extreme heat, and controlling the blaze became more challenging as night fell.

The fire broke out at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, which consists of 2,000 apartments spread across eight blocks. The Fire Services Department stated that they had not yet determined how many people might still be trapped inside.

Firefighter among the casualties

Dozens of residents, visibly distressed, watched from nearby walkways as smoke billowed from the complex. A 71-year-old resident, identified as Wong, tearfully spoke about his wife being trapped inside one of the buildings.

Among the 14 confirmed dead was a firefighter, the Fire Services director reported, with more than 16 people injured. The fire department received the first reports of the blaze at 2:51 p.m., and by 6:22 p.m., it had escalated to a No. 5 alarm, the highest level. Strong winds helped spread the fire to seven of the eight blocks in the complex.

Harry Cheung, 66, who had lived in Block Two of the complex for over 40 years, described hearing a loud noise around 2:45 p.m. and witnessing a fire erupt in a nearby block. "I immediately went back to pack up my things," he said, adding, "I don't even know how I feel right now. I'm just thinking about where I'm going to sleep tonight since I probably won't be able to go back home."

As firefighters fought the flames, scaffolding frames were seen falling to the ground, while numerous fire engines and ambulances lined the road beneath the buildings, according to Reuters witnesses.

Traffic disruption and comparison to the previous deadly fire

Due to the fire, a section of Tai Po Road, one of Hong Kong's main highways, was closed, and buses had to be rerouted, according to Hong Kong's Transport Department.

This fire is Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades, surpassing a similar tragedy in 1996 when 41 people died in a commercial building fire in Kowloon. That fire was later determined to have been caused by welding during renovations, prompting major updates to building standards and fire safety regulations in the city’s high-rise buildings.

Safety reforms and concerns about bamboo scaffolding

Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world where bamboo scaffolding is still widely used in construction. In March, the government began phasing out bamboo scaffolding for public construction projects, replacing it with metal frames for safety reasons.

Wang Fuk Court, an established housing complex built in 1983, is part of the government’s subsidised homeownership scheme. It has been undergoing renovations for a year, costing HK$330 million, with individual units contributing between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000. This highlights the ongoing challenges of homeownership in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most expensive housing markets, where residential rents are at record highs.

Reuters