Hong Kong Fire Tragedy Triggers Wave of Anger, Criticism and Deep Heartbreak (Source: @Yaqiu)
A huge fire in a high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kong has killed at least 65 people, while more than 300 others are still unaccounted for as the flames continue to burn.
This disaster, the worst the city has seen in years, erupted at Wang Fuk Court in Taipo and has sparked debate about poor supervision, weak safety systems, and gaps in urban planning.
Firefighters have been struggling for hours to contain the blaze, which began in bamboo scaffolding and quickly spread to seven of the eight residential towers that housed around 4,600 residents. Even after more than 20 hours, parts of the complex are still burning, and teams are searching for dozens of missing people.
Fires are not unusual in Hong Kong, but this one rated as Grade 5 is the most severe the city has recorded in 17 years.
It is believed to be the deadliest fire since November 1996, when 41 people were killed in a Kowloon commercial building blaze that lasted roughly 24 hours.
The current fire began in bamboo scaffolding and the external construction netting before racing across seven blocks of the housing estate. Officials say that poor-quality protective mesh and plastic, which failed to meet fire-safety standards, may have helped the flames spread faster. Police also found that some windows on one of the buildings that didn’t burn were sealed with foam material placed by a renovation contractor.
According to Bloomberg, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said, “Protective netting, fire-resistant cloth and plastic sheeting on the exterior of the building burned far more intensely and spread much faster than compliant materials normally would.”
The estate, which has nearly 2,000 flats, was built in the 1980s as government-subsidised housing and was currently going through major renovation work.
Hong Kong police superintendent Eileen Chung said, "We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties."
Police have since arrested two company directors and an engineering consultant on manslaughter charges.
Authorities said the fire started at 2:50 pm local time on Wednesday. Even a full day later, firefighters were still unable to put out flames in three of the towers.
Videos and photos showed massive flames continuing well into the night and thick smoke filling the sky. Hundreds of residents had to spend the night in temporary shelters.
The tragedy has triggered strong public anger. Many locals are questioning why fire alarms failed, whether bamboo scaffolding remains safe, and if warning signs were ignored. Residents fear that the safety equipment installed in the estate may not have functioned properly.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the government will create a task force to investigate the incident thoroughly. He also announced a plan to inspect all housing estates undergoing major renovation to review scaffolding safety and construction materials.
Also Read: Hong Kong’s Five-Alarm Tower Blaze Kills 44, Triggers Mass Rescue Operation
