Hong Kong fire claims 55 lives, 270 still missing

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A fire at Wang Fuk Court public housing complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po District killed 55 people and left at least 270 unaccounted for on Wednesday (Nov. 26). The blaze engulfed seven buildings and raged overnight, with three buildings still under intense firefighting efforts Thursday morning. Police arrested three construction company executives on suspicion of manslaughter for using flammable materials that may have accelerated the fire's deadly spread.

The Hong Kong Fire Services Department reported that it had extinguished 90% of external fires on Thursday morning, but warned that building interiors may remain smoldering and pose ongoing fire risks. Firefighters plan to conduct comprehensive floor-by-floor searches once the fire is fully controlled, maintaining hope of finding survivors among the over 270 unaccounted for. The fire spread internally before breaking out externally, causing scaffolding to collapse and sending sparks across the residential complex.

The Hong Kong Fire Services Department's deputy director reported that firefighting operations had reached the fifth to eighteenth floors of the affected buildings by Thursday morning. Operations also reached the thirteenth to twenty-third floors of one building, where flames continued burning despite overnight firefighting efforts. Resident Mrs. Wong (黃) from the 23rd floor stated that she immediately grabbed her baby and fled after seeing flames, reporting that she heard no fire alarm or evacuation warning.

Explosions occasionally punctuated the overnight firefighting operations as flames continued burning inside the seven buildings on fire within the residential complex in Tai Po District. Some residents displayed signs bearing names of missing loved ones outside the complex, desperately seeking information on their whereabouts among the more than 270 people unaccounted for. Many residents remained near Wang Fuk Court throughout the night searching for family members rather than seeking refuge at emergency shelters established by authorities.

The public housing complex was undergoing renovations when the fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon, with flammable construction materials, including plastic sheets and mesh, potentially accelerating the rapid blaze spread. Experts pointed to bamboo scaffolding, commonly used on Hong Kong construction sites and connecting the seven buildings, that may have allowed flames to jump quickly across the residential structures. Police arrested the three construction company executives on Thursday on suspicion of manslaughter for using the flammable materials that violated safety regulations.

Thick smoke enveloped the Tai Po District area overnight Wednesday as residents searched desperately for family members near the burning Wang Fuk Court complex rather than evacuating to shelters. The fire's cause remains under active investigation by Hong Kong authorities as emergency responders focus on ongoing rescue operations and comprehensive building searches for the missing. Hong Kong Fire Services Department officials have not yet released information on potential survivors among those hospitalized or rescued from the housing complex. ◼