Black smoke continued to come out in thick columns Burning buildings When dawn broke this Thursday Hong Kong. The sky was grey, covered in a light rain of ash that fell ceaselessly on the surrounding streets. scent Burnt plastic and synthetic materials It permeated the air, clinging to the clothes and skin of those who approached the area.
The scale of the disaster makes it so The worst tragedy in decades in Hong Kong:at least 65 people died And more 279 are still missingaccording to the provisional charges. Rescue efforts are continuing and victims are being recovered from buildings.
more than 800 firefighters They continued to work hard to put out the fire More than 20 active hoursa process that the authorities described as “Under control”Although flames are still visible sporadically at street level from some of the upper floors. During the night, around 900 residents evacuated They took refuge in eight temporary centers set up in different parts of the city. Many of them arrived with what they were wearing, still in shock.
The fire broke out shortly after 2:50 p.m. local time on Wednesday in one of the blocks of the apartment complex Wang Fook Courtin the Tai Po area: It is a complex of eight towers with 31 floors, containing about 2,000 apartments housing about 4,800 people. Most of the residents are elderly. According to the census, more than 36% of them are 65 years old or older.
The fire spread with alarming speed, advancing across seven of the eight blocks thanks to an unexpected ‘bridge’: Bamboo scaffolding It was installed for renovation work, covered with green fabric and netting. This combination was the perfect fuel. At approximately 6:22 p.m., the state of emergency was raised to “Alert level 5”It is the highest category in the city’s firefighting system.
Describes witnesses Almost horrific scenes: Entire towers turned into vertical torches, bursts of fire coming out of the windows, specific explosions that shook the upper floors, and the continuous roar of fire, water and sirens.
Many residents were trapped in their homes as smoke blocked the stairs and the elevators were rendered unusable. Among the deceased was A 37 year old firefighter, Ho Wai Ho, who was participating in rescue operations when the partial collapse left him with no way out. He lost contact with his comrades and was later found with burns to his face.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of the fire service, explained, “The temperature inside the damaged buildings is very high, making it difficult for us to enter and climb stairs to carry out firefighting and rescue operations.”
There are more than 100 hospitals in the city Dozens of people stay in Critical conditionMany of them suffer severe burns or severe poisoning as a result of inhaling toxic smoke. There was a wave of appeals on social media urging people to donate blood after the fire.
Speaking to local television, a mother burst into tears on Thursday when she explained that she was unable to communicate with her minor daughter, who was inside one of the buildings that was consumed by fire.
Initial investigations suggest that the building’s exterior, covered with bamboo scaffolding, played a crucial role. Although this traditional material is common in… Hong KongIn recent years, attempts have been made to replace them with safer metal structures. In the middle of this year, the government announced that at least half of new public works would abandon bamboo, precisely because of it. Exposure to fire And humid climate.
Another factor is added to this: during work, Polystyrene To close the windows and panels on each floor, which would act as an accelerating factor. On the walls of the building, Net and waterproof tarpaulin, Once burned, it showed faster flame spread than regulations allowed. “This is unusual,” Security Minister Chris Tang said.
The building in which the fire originated was built in 1983. The incident raised questions about regulation and safety systems in old houses, regulations regarding flammable materials, and conditions for restoration. As a fire spokesman noted, the speed with which the fire spread “would not have been possible” if safety standards had been respected.
The authorities announced that they had begun a criminal investigation into the deadliest fire in the city’s history Three people – two company directors and a consultant for the contracting company responsible for building restoration – were arrested on charges of manslaughter.
As the survivors begin to recount what happened, serious doubts arise about the operation of the emergency systems. Some residents told local media that The fire alarms did not go offWhich made many people sleep or rest in their homes without receiving any warning. The lack of early warning was particularly tragic in a complex populated largely by elderly people, many of whom have limited mobility.
Several witnesses claim to have heard it late at night Explosions on upper floorsThese are areas that firefighters had difficulty reaching due to the intensity of the fire and the insufficient pressure of the hoses at this height.
The worst fires
The number of deaths reported in the final hours in Hong Kong makes the Wang Fook Court fire the deadliest in the former British colony’s history, surpassing another building fire in 1996 that left 41 people dead.
In China, the fire that caused the largest number of victims occurred in 2000, when flames caused by a power outage devoured a residential complex where coal miners lived in Shaanxi Province. 374 miners were killed.
The deadliest single building fire in recorded history occurred at a school in India in 1995. Where 540 people diedMost of them are children.