A massive apartment fire in Hong Kong has become the deadliest the city has seen in decades, with the death toll rising sharply more than a day after flames tore through multiple residential complexes.
Rising Casualties and Ongoing Rescue
As of Thursday, November 27, 2025, 75 people have been confirmed dead, including one firefighter, according to local officials speaking to the South China Morning Post. The number of injured stands at 76, with 11 of those being firefighters. The rescue operation remains active, with at least 62 individuals still believed to be trapped inside seven charred buildings.
The infernos, which began on Wednesday afternoon, ravaged the Wang Fuk Court and Kwong Fuk Estate complexes located in the Tai Po neighbourhood. Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee, has stated that the fires at the seven affected complexes are now under control. In a glimmer of hope, fire officials reported locating one survivor in a stairway on the 16th floor of one building.
Personal Tragedies and Desperate Searches
The human cost of the disaster is immense and deeply personal. Outside a shelter established for those displaced, a grieving mother mourned the loss of her baby. "My baby is dead," the sobbing woman said. "I am the mum who keeps posting non-stop on social media trying to find my baby." She also reported that her father-in-law and mother-in-law are missing. She recounted that firefighters told her they found a baby and an adult in her flat with no signs of life, adding, "I don't know what to do. My baby was born after so much hardship."
Officials have not released an official count of the missing, but the number could be in the hundreds as families desperately search for loved ones. One woman is searching for her fiancé's uncle, who lives on the 21st floor and has not been heard from since the fire started. After checking victim photos at a community centre, she told the South China Morning Post, "We haven't found anything yet, we have to check other places."
Another man expressed fear that his trapped father-in-law on the 31st floor may have perished, but his photo was not among the identified victims. "We fear the firefighters may have not found him," the man said. "I hope the lockdown will be lifted soon so we can enter the building and check on our families ourselves." The missing also include migrant domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, with one Indonesian woman fervently searching for her 40-year-old sister.
Investigation and Cause of the Rapid Spread
Authorities have indicated that the fire spread with terrifying speed from one apartment to neighbouring complexes due to bamboo scaffolding and green mesh netting covering the buildings, which were under renovation. They also identified styrofoam insulation used around windows as a significant factor that contributed to the intensity of the infernos.
In response to the catastrophe, Hong Kong police have arrested three people on suspicion of manslaughter. Those taken into custody include two directors and a consultant from the contractor responsible for the building renovations.
Chief Secretary for Hong Kong, Eric Chan, will lead a team of investigators to determine the origin of the blazes. This probe will include a criminal investigation headed by police and housing authorities. Furthermore, the city has announced it will conduct spot checks and enforcement measures at all buildings currently undergoing renovation across Hong Kong.
