Image source, Reuters
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- author, Phoebe Kong and Kui Lee
- Author title, BBC China
- author, Danny Vincent
- Author title, BBC News
- author, Catherine Armstrong
- Author title, BBC News
“When you get close, you can feel the heat, and the smoke is very thick,” says student Thomas Liu.
He is one of many people who rushed to the scene of the deadly fire that destroyed much of the eight-building Wang Fook Court apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.
At least 128 people died and dozens were missing in the devastating fire that broke out on Wednesday.
The cause remains unknown, but three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter involving flammable materials, such as netting and plastic sheeting, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
“It’s a disaster,” Thomas says of the fire, adding that he saw a body being carried away.
“Many people sent us WhatsApp messages or called us saying they had relatives inside or couldn’t find them,” Mui Siu Fong, a Tai Po district councilor, told BBC China.
More than a thousand people were forced to evacuate the residential area as the fire spread.
Some went to centers set up as shelters. Police also moved people from nearby buildings.
The fire was gradually extinguishing, but authorities said they did not know when it would be completely extinguished.
Flames were seen coming from some apartments while many people watched in silence.
A woman commented that her friends lived inside the building and she was waiting to see if they were able to get out.
Image source, Getty Images
Harry Cheung, who has lived in the second building of the Wang Fook Court complex for more than 40 years, told Reuters he heard a “very loud noise” and saw a fire break out in a nearby building.
“I immediately went back to pack my bags,” the 66-year-old said.
“I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go home.”
A woman in her 60s, surnamed Kam who lives in the nearby Kwong Fook residential area, told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that several of her friends living in the Wang Fook Court complex have been located, but not all of them.
Cam indicated that one of her friends usually naps every day and was probably asleep when the fire broke out at 2:51 p.m. local time. He added that the woman’s daughters have not been able to contact her yet.
Another resident, Jason Kong (65 years old), told Reuters that a neighbor called him and told him that he was still trapped inside one of the buildings.
“I’m devastated. There are so many neighbors and friends. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. Look, all the apartments are burning. I don’t know what to do. I hope the government will help us stabilize after this.”
An elderly woman living in one of the damaged buildings told the BBC that she was not home when the fire broke out, but was worried about her apartment because it was not secured.
“I am very upset because now I have no home to go to,” she said.
Although the cause of the fire that destroyed the high-rise buildings is unknown, police say that metal grilles and plastic sheeting were found on the exterior of the buildings. None of these materials are believed to be fire resistant.
Styrofoam was also found in the building’s windows. These materials may have contributed to accelerating the spread of the fire, according to police.
Some people expressed anger at the size of the fire and criticized the response.
“When there is a forest fire, they deploy helicopters and drop water bombs, but why are they not deployed here and how can they leave buildings burning?” asked Ms Boon, another resident of Wang Fook Court, who is in her 60s.
“The community is very close to the fire station and we thought the fire could be put out soon, but now it has spread. I am very disappointed,” she told SCMP.
Boone said he had not received instructions from the government on where to seek help.
The BBC spoke to some Tai Po residents who brought supplies to the victims and those affected, including dozens of blankets and heat packs.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said government agencies were helping residents affected by the fire.
When residents were asked their opinion about what happened, they said that “the government is incompetent” and that they were “deeply saddened.”
One of them said: “We don’t want to see more victims.”
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