The Daily Populous Thursday November 27th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by bbc.com and submitted by Substantial-Dare5462

At least 44 dead and hundreds missing after fire engulfs Hong Kong tower blocks

10 hours ago Share Save Hafsa Khalil and Kathryn Armstrong Share Save

Watch: Deadly fire engulfs Hong Kong apartment blocks

At least 44 people have been killed in a huge fire that has engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. There are reports that some residents were trapped in the building, and police say 279 people are still missing. More than 760 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze on Wednesday afternoon, with pictures showing flames and thick clouds of grey smoke billowing from the towers, dominating the city's skyline. Three men have since been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to the fire, according to local media reports, and an investigation has been launched.

The blaze broke out at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) and was classified as a level five - the highest in severity - by the fire department at 18:22. The complex was undergoing extensive renovations when the fire began. The exact cause of the fire is unknown but police say a mesh material and plastic sheets were found outside the buildings - both of which are not believed to be fireproof. Styrofoam was also found on the building's windows. These materials may have caused the fire to spread more quickly, said police. The police spokesperson said: "We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties." Among those hospitalised, 45 are in a serious condition. The injured were sent to hospitals in various districts. Firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, was among those killed in the blaze. He was found collapsed at the scene about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost. The fierce heat of the blaze, as well as dangerous debris has hampered rescue efforts. "The temperature inside the buildings concerned are very high, so it's quite difficult for us to enter... and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operation," said Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of fire services. The fire has yet to be extinguished and officials have said they were unsure when it would be. Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and is made up of eight tower blocks that provide 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census. Seven of the towers have been affected by the fire.

Some residents have told local media that the fire alarms did not sound, and when the elevators stopped working, they struggled to get out. A local councillor said many of the people who lived at Wang Fuk Court are elderly. There were also reports on Wednesday night of blasts being heard from inside the buildings, and fire hoses were struggling to reach the upper levels of the 31-storey towers. Police have also evacuated nearby buildings, and several temporary shelters have been opened. One of the shelters, located over the road from the housing complex, was deemed unsafe as the fire continued to rage, and evacuees were directed to another further away. An officer at a temporary shelter told the AFP news agency it was unclear how many people were unaccounted for because residents were still trickling in late into the night to report missing family members. There is a large evacuation zone around the fire, roads are closed and more than 30 bus routes have been diverted, Hong Kong's Transport Department says.

Reuters Reuters As the fire continues to burn, the extent of the damage is yet to be assessed The blaze is expected to have a profound effect on both the community and the estate itself

China's President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathy for the victims and urged that every effort be made to put out the fire and minimise the losses, state media reported. It has been 17 years since Hong Kong faced a level five fire, when a building constructed in 1962, Cornwall Court, burnt down. Four people were killed in that fire.

darcerin on November 26th, 2025 at 19:44 UTC »

This is my honest-to-God nightmare - being trapped in a burning building. Those poor souls. I cannot even imagine the terror they experienced.

Dennyisthepisslord on November 26th, 2025 at 19:35 UTC »

Hopefully the number of missing will be revised down as it's a chaotic situation and not everyone will be properly accounted for yet.

Unfortunately it seems likely the death toll will also rise. At least it was in the daytime so many people wouldn't have been home or at least been awake. If this happened in the dead of night the toll would be far worse.

The Grenfell tower fire in London nearly a decade ago had 70+ people die and yet at first many more were unaccounted for

Successful-Try-8506 on November 26th, 2025 at 19:10 UTC »

According to my local paper 279 people are also missing.