A housing complex in Hong Kong has been left in ruins after the city’s most lethal fire in more than three decades — a blaze so swift and overwhelming that entire towers were overtaken before rescuers could reach residents trapped on the higher floors.
The city is in shock after a catastrophic fire swept through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, claiming the lives of at least 55 people and leaving 45 others fighting for survival in critical condition. By Thursday morning, authorities reported that 279 residents were still unaccounted for.
Officials have confirmed that this is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, fueling public anger, arrests, and growing demands for responsibility.
The blaze ignited on Wednesday afternoon and, within hours, had spread across seven of the estate’s eight high-rise buildings. The public housing complex houses about 4,800 people, many of whom are elderly.
Its rapid escalation has been partly attributed to the presence of styrofoam materials, bamboo scaffolding, and flammable renovation debris scattered throughout the property.
Witnesses first spotted smoke emerging from one tower around 2:45 p.m. By 3:15 p.m., the fire had become so intense that residents in adjacent buildings began noticing the danger.
Wan, who lives on the eighth floor, said he only understood the severity of the situation when he opened his window and saw thick smoke rising. He grabbed his wallet, took his two dogs, and ran down a stairwell filled with the strong smell of gas.
Just minutes later, officials escalated the fire to a Level 4 alarm, the second-highest category. Although emergency crews arrived quickly, the overwhelming heat and suffocating smoke made rescue work extremely difficult.
Firefighters struggled to reach higher floors as the burning bamboo scaffolding on the outside of the building collapsed. By 6 p.m., the alarm rating had been raised to the maximum Level 5, while frightened residents and people returning from work watched their homes disappear in flames.
Social media and local messaging groups erupted with calls for assistance and frantic efforts to track down missing family members. A distressed woman screamed, “My whole family is inside! I can’t get them on the phone, and I’m terrified they’ve passed out!”
Another man, forced to leave his dog behind, stood helpless as the structure crumbled. The devastation stunned a city known for its strict safety regulations and rigorous fire protection standards.
Growing confusion quickly shifted into anger as signs of possible negligence emerged. Investigators found polystyrene boards blocking windows, along with flammable plastic sheeting and netting in renovation areas — materials suspected of fueling the fire’s rapid spread.
Three men, aged 52 to 68, have been taken into custody on suspicion of manslaughter. A criminal investigation is underway, along with a corruption inquiry led by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Officials are also reviewing how earlier safety complaints were handled. Residents had raised concerns more than a year ago about hazardous conditions, including construction netting that had reportedly prompted a warning from the Labour Department during a surprise inspection.
There are also questions about the speed of evacuations and the performance of fire alarms. Some residents insist the alarms never went off in their towers. A man with the surname Au said he could hear the scaffolding burning outside but never received any formal warning.
On Thursday, the city’s leader announced that all public housing estates undergoing major renovations would undergo emergency safety checks.
As investigations continue, messages of grief and disbelief keep appearing online. One person wrote, “Those poor ppl.” Another posted, “So frightening. Thinking of the families of those who died.” A third commented, “Devisating people and there pets 💔💔💔 [sic],” while someone else simply said, “That’s insane 💔💔.”
For survivors, the ordeal is far from over. Wan and his wife spent the night in an emergency shelter, unsure whether anything was left of their home or their neighborhood. Many others are still waiting for news — and with each passing hour, the call for justice grows louder.
