Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than half a century entered a grim new phase Friday. Officials confirmed 128 deaths and acknowledged that about 200 residents are still unaccounted for.
The blaze tore through the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in the Tai Po district, leaving behind a smoldering cluster of blackened towers and thousands of grieving families.
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Search efforts stretch into day three
Fire crews say the main firefight is nearly complete, but smoke is still drifting from several upper floors and temperatures inside some units remain dangerously high. Rescuers have been moving from apartment to apartment using handheld lights, often navigating through collapsed scaffolding and unstable debris.
Among the dead is 37-year-old firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who collapsed at the scene and later died at a hospital. More than 70 other people are being treated for injuries, some in critical condition.
How the fire spread so fast
Investigators say the blaze likely began on the lower floors of one of the 32-story towers, where bamboo scaffolding and renovation netting had wrapped the building. High winds, falling debris and burning mesh allowed flames to jump rapidly up the exterior walls and into neighboring towers.
Police also discovered flammable polystyrene foam panels attached to windows near elevator lobbies. Once ignited, the foam intensified the heat and helped the fire move inside the building as windows shattered.
Officials later revealed that fire alarms in all eight buildings were found to be “not functional” during post-fire inspections.
Three arrested as criminal investigation widens
Police have arrested two directors and a consultant from the construction company overseeing the renovation project.
They are under investigation for manslaughter and gross negligence tied to the materials used on the building’s exterior.
Authorities are now inspecting 11 additional residential projects where the same company performed renovation work.
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Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948
The blaze is the city’s worst since a warehouse fire killed nearly 200 people in 1948. Images from the scene show entire towers reduced to a patchwork of scorched concrete and shattered windows as investigators continue their search.
Officials say the next phase will focus on identifying victims and tracing how a routine renovation project turned into one of the most devastating disasters in Hong Kong’s modern history.
