One of Hong Kong's Deadliest Fires Claims 128 Lives
Hong Kong firefighters conducted an exhaustive apartment-by-apartment search through a high-rise tower complex on Friday following a catastrophic fire that engulfed seven of its eight buildings. The devastating blaze has claimed at least 128 lives, marking one of the deadliest fire incidents in the city's history.
The death toll climbed to 128 on Friday afternoon as rescue teams discovered more victims within the blackened towers. Secretary for Security Chris Tang confirmed at the scene that search operations continued and the number of casualties might still increase.
Rescue Efforts and Challenges
Fire crews prioritized apartments from which they had received more than two dozen distress calls during the emergency but were unable to reach initially. Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services, explained that rescue teams were systematically forcing entry into all units across the seven affected blocks to ensure no additional casualties remained.
The massive fire required the efforts of more than 1,000 firefighters working approximately 24 hours to bring under control. Even nearly two days after the blaze began, smoke continued to drift from the charred building skeletons due to occasional flare-ups.
The Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong's border with mainland China, contained almost 2,000 apartments housing approximately 4,800 residents. The final building search was expected to conclude Friday, at which point officials would officially end the rescue phase of operations.
Fire Spread and Investigation
The tragedy began Wednesday afternoon when flames erupted in one of the complex's eight towers. The fire spread rapidly between buildings as bamboo scaffolding covered in netting—installed for ongoing renovations—caught ablaze, eventually consuming seven structures.
Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency has launched an investigation into possible corruption related to the renovation project. Authorities have arrested three men—directors and an engineering consultant from a construction company—on suspicion of manslaughter. Police suspect company leaders of gross negligence.
While police haven't officially identified the company involved, The Associated Press confirmed that Prestige Construction & Engineering Company managed renovations in the tower complex. Officers seized boxes of documents from the company's offices, where phones remained unanswered on Thursday.
Safety Violations and Aftermath
Investigators suspect that some materials on the exterior walls failed to meet fire resistance standards, contributing to the unusually rapid spread of flames. Police also discovered highly flammable plastic foam panels attached to windows near elevator lobbies in the one unaffected tower, believed to have been installed by the construction company.
The fire's impact extended beyond the tragic loss of life, with more than 70 people injured—including 11 firefighters—and approximately 900 residents requiring temporary shelter. Most casualties occurred in the first two buildings that caught fire.
The Wang Fuk Court complex, built in the 1980s, housed many older residents and was undergoing major renovations when the disaster struck. Authorities have announced immediate inspections of all housing estates undergoing significant renovations to verify that scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.
This tragedy represents Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades, surpassing the 1996 commercial building fire in Kowloon that killed 41 people. The 1948 warehouse fire that claimed 176 lives remains the city's most devastating blaze on record according to the South China Morning Post.
