Hong Kong fire: at least 128 dead 100s missing many injured

[Anthea]

Huge fire engulfs Hong Kong flats

At least 44 people have been killed after a fire engulfed several buildings at a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong, another 279 people were reported missing, while 45 are in a critical condition

About 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters after the blaze - Hong Kong's deadliest fire in years - broke out at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the city's Tai Po district.

Three men have since been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, broadcaster RTHK reported.

Meanwhile, fire chiefs said the high temperatures were making it challenging for crews to mount rescue operations.

Mr Lee said the fire was "coming under control" shortly after midnight.

The blaze was upgraded to a level 5 alarm, the highest level of severity, as night fell.

The dead included one firefighter, officials said earlier.

A number of other firefighters were said to have been hurt while trying to tackle the flames as they ripped through the 31-storey towers.

Records show the Wang Fuk Court site consists of eight blocks, with almost 2,000 apartments housing around 4,800 residents, including many elderly people. It was built in the 1980s and has recently been undergoing a major renovation.

The fire, which broke out at 2.51pm local time, had spread on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting set up around the exterior of the complex.

It was not known how the fire started, but officials said it began on the external scaffolding of one of the buildings before spreading inside and to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.

Flames and smoke were still pouring out of many windows as night fell.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the firefighter who died, and extended his sympathies to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also urged an "all-out" effort to minimise casualties and losses.

The UK's foreign secretary described the fire as "truly devastating and deeply depressing". Yvette Cooper said: "The UK sends heartfelt condolences to all the families affected and to the people of Hong Kong."

Tai Po is in the northern part of Hong Kong, and close to the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects.

However, the government said earlier this year it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.

The blaze is the deadliest fire in Hong Kong since the deaths of 41 people in a commercial building in Kowloon in November 1996.

That fire was later found to have been caused by welding during internal renovations, with a public inquiry yielding sweeping updates to building standards and fire safety regulations in the city's high-rise offices, shops and homes.

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[Anthea]

At least 83 dead as firefighters
continue to battle burning towers

Rescuers holding flashlights were going from apartment to apartment at the charred towers as thick smoke poured out from some windows at the Wang Fuk Court complex, a dense cluster of buildings housing thousands of people in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong’s border with the mainland

Officials said firefighters were still working on a handful of apartments and trying to enter all of the units in the seven towers to ensure there were no further casualties.

“Our firefighting operation is almost complete,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Services Operations. Firefighters were working hard “to prevent the debris and embers from flaring up. What’s next is the search and rescue operation,” he added.

It was unclear how many people remained missing or trapped. Hong Kong leader John Lee said contact had been lost with 279 people early Thursday. Authorities did not provide updates on the missing people or how many were still inside the ravaged buildings Thursday during a press conference.

Video showed rescuers searching in some apartments in the dark. Orange flames were still seen from inside several windows, though the whole complex was now largely a blackened ruin.

Firefighters have been trying to control the flames since midafternoon Wednesday, when the fire was believed to have started in bamboo scaffolding and construction netting and then spread across seven of the complex’s eight buildings.

Chan said the blaze spread “exceptionally fast” across the towers, and emergency workers struggled to gain access inside.

“Debris and scaffolding were falling from upper floors," he told reporters. “There are also other reasons like high temperature, darkness ... (and) emergency vehicle access was blocked by fallen scaffolding and debris, making our access to the building very difficult.”

More than 70 people were injured, including 11 firefighters, the Fire Services Department said. About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight.

Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to Hong Kong’s bishop Thursday, saying he was saddened by the fire and offering prayers for the injured, their families and emergency workers.

Resident Lawrence Lee was waiting for news about his wife, who he believed was still trapped in their apartment.

“When the fire started, I told her on the phone to escape. But once she left the flat, the corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark, so she had no choice but to go back to the flat,” he said, as he waited in one of the shelters overnight.

Winter and Sandy Chung, who lived in one of the towers, said they saw sparks fly around as they evacuated Wednesday afternoon. Although they were safe, they were worried about their home. “I couldn’t sleep the entire night,” Winter Chung, 75, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

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Three men, the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Police have not directly named the company where they work.

"We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent,” said Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police.

Police on Thursday also searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, which the AP confirmed was in charge of renovations in the tower complex. Police seized boxes of documents as evidence, according to local media. Phones for Prestige rang unanswered.

Authorities suspected some materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, allowing the unusually fast spread of the fire.

Police also said they found plastic foam panels -- which are highly flammable -- attached to the windows on each floor near the elevator lobby of the one unaffected tower. It was believed to have been installed by the construction company but the purpose was not clear. Secretary for Security Chris Tang said they would investigate the materials further.

The housing complex consisted of eight buildings with almost 2,000 apartments for about 4,800 residents, including many older people. It was built in the 1980s and had been undergoing a major renovation. Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency said on Thursday it was launching a probe into possible corruption relating to the renovation project.

Officials said the fire started on the external scaffolding of a 32-story tower, then spread on the bamboo scaffolding and construction netting to the inside of the building and then to the other buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.

Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though Lee said officials will meet with industry representatives to discuss a switch to metal scaffolding amid safety concerns.

“While we know that bamboo scaffolding has a long history in Hong Kong, its flame retardancy is inferior to that of metal scaffolding. For safety reasons, the government believes that a complete switch to metal scaffolding should be implemented in suitable working environments,” said Eric Chan, the Chief Secretary for Administration.

Authorities will also be carrying out immediate inspections of all housing estates that are undergoing major renovation work to ensure scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.

The fire was the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades. In November 1996, 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a fire that lasted for around 20 hours.

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[Anthea]

Death toll rises to 128

The death toll from the devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court public housing complex in Hong Kong has risen to 128, with as many as 200 residents still missing, officials confirmed on Friday, as rescue operations were formally declared over

Firefighters had been combing through the high-rise towers since the blaze began on Wednesday afternoon, attempting to reach anyone trapped in the eight-building estate in Tai Po District. The fire, one of the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades, spread to seven of the eight towers, engulfing the complex that houses over 4,600 people.

Families struggle amid chaos

Throughout Friday morning, residents and relatives arrived at the nearby Kwong Fuk Estate community centre to identify bodies recovered from the gutted buildings. Few names of the deceased have been publicly released so far, and many families remain in anguish over missing loved ones.

“We’ll endeavour to effect forcible entry to all the units of the seven buildings, so as to ensure there are no other possible casualties,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services.

Rescue crews had prioritized apartments from which more than two dozen calls for help were made during the fire, but could not be reached. Authorities reported that most of the fatalities were concentrated in two of the towers, while survivors were rescued from the others.

By Friday morning, the fires had been mostly contained, though some apartments remained alight, with firefighters focused on preventing flare-ups.

Grief and uncertainty for residents

Residents spoke of shock and grief.

Mr Lau, whose parents remain unaccounted for, said, “At the scene, I know nothing. I just want to know if my parents are alive or dead. If they’ve died, I don’t want to even see the bodies, I only want to know they’re gone, so at least I won’t keep worrying.”

Another resident, who lived on the 10th floor, said her family was safe but expressed fear for neighbours who remained missing.

Impact on migrant workers

The disaster has particularly affected foreign domestic workers. Indonesia’s consul-general, Yul Edison, confirmed that at least one Indonesian national is among the dead. A spokesperson for the Mission for Migrant Workers NGO said 11 Indonesian and 19 Filipino helpers are still missing from the 119 known to reside in the complex.

A crowd-sourced web application has been tracking reports from residents, noting specific apartments and individual cases. Reports include a 41-year-old man trapped in a stairwell, a 60-year-old man, a 90-year-old woman, and a 40-year-old Indian domestic helper, among other casualties.

Authorities have launched investigations into the cause of the fire. Three executives from the construction company responsible for the years-long renovation of the estate were arrested. Officials are scrutinising the bamboo scaffolding, green mesh, and flammable styrofoam used in elevator window coverings throughout the building.

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