Hong Kong's Deadliest Fire in Decades Claims 94 Lives at Wang Fuk Court Complex

It is Hong Kong's deadliest fire since 1948, when an explosion followed by a fire claimed 135 lives.

China:

Firefighters continued their battle for a second day to extinguish a massive blaze at a high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kong on Thursday, with the death toll increasing to 94, marking one of the most devastating fires in the city's modern history.

Rescue teams equipped with flashlights conducted apartment-by-apartment searches at the charred Wang Fuk Court complex, where thick smoke continued to pour from some windows. The residential complex, consisting of densely packed buildings housing thousands of people, is located in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong's mainland border.

Officials stated that firefighters were still working on several apartments and attempting to access all units across the seven towers to ensure no additional casualties remained undiscovered.

"Our firefighting operation is almost complete," announced Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Services Operations. He explained that firefighters were working diligently "to prevent the debris and embers from flaring up. What's next is the search and rescue operation."

The number of people missing or trapped remained unclear. Hong Kong leader John Lee reported that contact had been lost with 279 people early Thursday. During a press conference Thursday, authorities provided no updates regarding the missing individuals or how many might still be inside the devastated buildings.

Footage showed rescue personnel searching apartments in darkness. Orange flames remained visible from several windows, though the entire complex had largely become a blackened ruin.

Firefighters have been combating the flames since mid-afternoon Wednesday, when the fire reportedly began in bamboo scaffolding and construction netting before spreading across seven of the complex's eight buildings.

Chan explained that the fire spread "exceptionally fast" across the towers, and emergency workers faced significant challenges gaining entry.

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

The Fire Services Department reported more than 70 people injured, including 11 firefighters, in addition to the 94 fatalities. Approximately 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight.

Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to Hong Kong's bishop Thursday, expressing his sadness regarding the fire and offering prayers for the injured, their families, and emergency responders.

Resident Lawrence Lee awaited news about his wife, whom he believed remained 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 recounted while waiting at one of the shelters overnight.

Winter and Sandy Chung, residents of one of the towers, described seeing sparks flying around during their evacuation Wednesday afternoon. Though they escaped safely, they expressed concern about their home. "I couldn't sleep the entire night," 75-year-old Winter Chung told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Three men—two directors and an engineering consultant from a construction company—were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Police have not explicitly named their company.

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

On Thursday, police searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, which the AP confirmed was responsible for renovations at the tower complex. According to local media, police seized boxes of documents as evidence. Calls to Prestige went unanswered.

Authorities suspected that certain materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings failed to meet fire resistance standards, contributing to the unusually rapid spread of the fire.

Police also discovered highly flammable plastic foam panels attached to windows on each floor near the elevator lobby of the only unaffected tower. These were believed to have been installed by the construction company, though their purpose remained unclear. Secretary for Security Chris Tang stated they would investigate the materials further.

The housing complex comprised eight buildings containing almost 2,000 apartments housing approximately 4,800 residents, including many elderly individuals. Built in the 1980s, it had been undergoing major renovations. Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency announced on Thursday it was launching an investigation into possible corruption related to the renovation project.

Officials reported that the fire originated on the external scaffolding of a 32-story tower before spreading via the bamboo scaffolding and construction netting to the building's interior and subsequently to other buildings, likely accelerated by windy conditions.

Bamboo scaffolding is commonly used for construction and renovation projects throughout Hong Kong. However, Lee stated that officials would meet with industry representatives to discuss transitioning to metal scaffolding due to 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 conduct immediate inspections of all housing estates undergoing major renovation work to ensure scaffolding and construction materials comply with safety standards.

This fire represents the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades. Previously, in November 1996, 41 people perished in a fire at a commercial building in Kowloon that burned for approximately 20 hours.