A fire broke out in the Tai Po area in northern Hong Kong on Wednesday, quickly spreading through bamboo scaffolding and engulfing several high-rise buildings. According to firefighters, at least seven out of the eight blocks of the Wang Fuk Court residential complex were on fire. Among the victims is one firefighter who lost contact with his team during the rescue operation and was found with burns.
The authorities assigned the highest fifth level of danger to the incident, which is rare — the last time such a category was assigned to a fire in Hong Kong was in 2008.
The deputy chief of the fire service noted that the rapid spread of the fire was caused by strong gusts of wind and flying debris. The official cause of the ignition has not yet been established. Previously, local residents complained about workers smoking while on the job, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
More than 700 firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire that engulfed seven out of the eight blocks of the complex. By the morning of the next day, rescue operations continued as several hotspots remained.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fire. According to the police, the detainees are men aged between 52 and 68, working for a construction company that was conducting renovation work in the building. Two of them hold managerial positions, while the third is a consulting engineer.
The authorities reported that materials found on the exterior of the buildings likely do not have fire-resistant properties. A police representative stated: "We have reason to believe that the company's management exhibited gross negligence, which led to this tragedy, causing the uncontrolled spread of fire and a large-scale disaster."
Chinese state television CCTV reported that Xi Jinping, the leader of the PRC, expressed his condolences to the families who lost loved ones as a result of the fire.
The Wang Fuk Court residential complex was built in 1983 near the sea and major highways. It consists of eight blocks and includes 1,984 apartments. According to the 2021 census, approximately 4,600 people lived in the complex.
