HONG KONG — A massive fire tore through the Wang Fuk Court public housing estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighborhood on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least 36 people, including one firefighter, with 279 residents still unaccounted for.
The blaze, which began in the early afternoon, quickly escalated to the city’s highest alarm level, prompting a large-scale emergency response. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu described the incident as a “catastrophe” while confirming the mounting casualty figures.
Rescue operations are ongoing as firefighters and paramedics continue to search the affected structures. More than 140 fire engines and over 800 emergency personnel were deployed, with drones also being utilized to survey the damage.
The fire is believed to have spread rapidly across the exterior bamboo scaffolding before engulfing seven of the eight residential blocks in the estate, which collectively contain more than 1,900 apartments. According to authorities, three of the affected buildings appeared completely darkened by the fire, while four others showed “disparate signs of fire.”
In addition to the confirmed fatalities and missing persons, 29 people were hospitalized, with seven reportedly in critical condition.
Chief Executive Lee reported that the fire was gradually brought under control by 1:20 a.m. Thursday local time. Meanwhile, Chinese
President Xi Jinping extended his condolences and urged local authorities to make all-out efforts to minimize further casualties and losses.
As a consequence of the disaster and resulting road closures from the emergency response, the Education Bureau announced the cancellation of classes at six schools in the district for Thursday. (Anadolu)