Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has claimed 128 lives, with 280 residents still missing as rescue teams battle collapsed interiors and toxic debris. Authorities have contained the blaze, but investigations into negligence and corruption intensify.
A National Tragedy Unfolding in Real Time
Hong Kong is facing one of the darkest moments in its modern history as the death toll from the Wang Fuk Court inferno in Tai Po climbed to 128 on Friday, according to local media. More than 280 residents remain unaccounted for, turning the residential complex into the emotional epicenter of a national tragedy.
The fire — now confirmed as the city’s worst blaze in decades — tore through eight high-rise blocks undergoing renovation. A firefighter is among the dead, while 76 people were hospitalized, including 11 firefighters injured during the rescue operation.
Authorities announced that the flames in all buildings have finally been contained, but the search is expected to continue for days due to dangerous structural damage.
A Blaze That Devoured a Community
The fire erupted around noon Wednesday and surged with ferocity through 1,900 apartments, fueled by bamboo scaffolding and foam window insulation — materials investigators now say acted like a “fire highway,” accelerating the spread both vertically and horizontally.
At its peak, the inferno engulfed seven buildings, forcing rescuers to break down doors, rappel from rooftops and navigate smoke-filled stairwells before authorities issued a Level-5 fire alarm — Hong Kong’s highest emergency alert — for the first time in 17 years.
Families Wait as Rescue Teams Push Deeper Inside Ruins
More than 800 emergency responders and 140 firefighting vehicles have been deployed. Officials say the most challenging task now is reaching apartments where collapsed ceilings, debris piles, and melted insulation have blocked entire corridors.
Currently, 56 victims remain in hospital, several in critical condition.
For hundreds of families, the wait continues.
Criminal Negligence and Corruption Under the Spotlight
The tragedy has ignited intense scrutiny over the renovation project at Wang Fuk Court. Police confirmed the arrest of three individuals — two managers and a consulting engineer — on manslaughter charges.
According to investigators, renovation materials used on the external façades contributed significantly to the fire’s lethal speed.
“We have reason to believe that gross negligence directly led to the rapid spread of the fire,”
said Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung Lai-yee.
Meanwhile, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched a full probe into the project, raising serious questions about possible misconduct or bribery in the renovation’s approval process.
“A special task force has been established to investigate potential corruption linked to the grand renovation project,”
the ICAC announced.
A City in Grief, a Nation Responding
Two nearby complexes were evacuated as a precaution, and 900 displaced residents have taken refuge at eight temporary shelters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences and urged authorities to “mobilize all resources” for support. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu called the death toll “heartbreaking” and has convened an ongoing emergency Cabinet task force.
Comments are closed.