Image source, Getty Images
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- author, Tiffany Wertheimer and Yvette Tan
- Author title, BBC News
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A devastating fire has swept through a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong, killing at least 128 people, making it the city’s deadliest in more than 60 years.
Dozens of people have been reported missing, and thousands of residents are in evacuation shelters.
The pictures showed many high-rise buildings still burning and thick smoke rising into the air, dominating the Chinese skyline.
According to local media, three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire, and an investigation has been opened.
President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to the victims, including “a firefighter who died in the line of duty,” according to Chinese state media.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but this is what we know so far.
1. Where and when did the fire start?
The fire broke out at Wang Fook Court, a large residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, at 2:51 p.m. local time on Wednesday (06:51 GMT).
Wang Fook Court consists of eight towers, each 31 storeys high. Mui Siu Fong, Tai Po District Councilor, told BBC China that seven people were affected by the fire.
The buildings were built in 1983 and were undergoing renovations when the fire broke out.
Tai Po is a residential area in the northern part of Hong Kong, near the city of Shenzhen, mainland China.
The complex provides 1,984 apartments for about 4,600 residents, according to the 2021 government census.
Nearly 40% of the 4,600 people living in the Wang Fuk housing complex are 65 or older, according to the census.
Some of them have lived in this subsidized public housing project since its inception.
2. What caused the fire?
Hong Kong’s security minister said early Thursday that the cause of the fire was unknown, but a preliminary investigation concluded that the speed at which it spread was unusual.
Police say mesh materials and plastic sheeting were found on the exterior of the buildings, which are not believed to be flammable.
Styrofoam was also found in the building’s windows, and that, along with other building materials, likely caused the fire to spread so quickly, according to police.
Police arrested three men, aged between 52 and 68, on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fatal fire; Two of them are directors of a construction company and the other is an engineering consultant.
A police spokesman said investigators were examining the alleged actions or inaction of senior company officials.
The spokesman said: “We have reasons to believe that those responsible for the company acted with gross negligence, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread out of control, resulting in many casualties.”
Local media also quoted some residents claiming that the fire alarms in the building did not go off.
3. How bad was the fire?
This is the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in at least 63 years, and has been classified as Alert Level 5, the highest in terms of severity.
Forty minutes after it was first reported, Level 4 was declared, but by 6:22 p.m., about three and a half hours later, the level had been raised again.
Local media had previously reported that explosions could be heard inside the building and that fire hoses could not easily reach the upper floors.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of fire services, told the media that the intense heat prevented firefighters from entering buildings to carry out rescue operations.
In addition to 767 firefighters, 128 fire engines, 57 ambulances and about 400 police were deployed.
4. What is known about the victims?
Among the dead was firefighter Ho Wai Ho, 37, who served at Sha Tin Fire Station for nine years.
The fire service reported that they lost contact with him at 3:30 p.m. After about half an hour, he discovered that he had collapsed. He was taken to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after.
Fire Service Chief Andy Young said: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of this dedicated and brave firefighter.
At least one other firefighter was taken to hospital, according to the Hong Kong Fire Service.
According to local media reports, police officers are helping residents search for their relatives using a loudspeaker.
5. What made it so devastating?
The tower buildings at Wang Fook Court have been covered with bamboo scaffolding and green construction nets, even the roofs, as they undergo renovation.
The police attributed the rapid spread of the fire to the materials used in restoration work, such as nets, plastic sheets, and polystyrene.
It is still unclear what caused the fire, but regardless of its origin, proper grilles on the exterior of buildings would have been key to preventing the fire from spreading, Jason Poon, president of construction NGO China Monitor, told Initium Media, adding that poor quality grilles could cause a fire to spread quickly.
Another engineer told Initium Media that he believes the vast majority of mesh used in construction in Hong Kong is not made of fire-resistant materials.
There is also often cardboard, debris and paint thinner on scaffolding, which, coupled with dry weather, can speed up the spread of a fire, the engineer said.
A fire safety expert the BBC spoke to earlier said that bamboo scaffolding, a common part of the city’s streets, also contributed to fueling the fire.
Local media reports in March said the government development office was trying to phase out the use of bamboo due to safety concerns.
The trend toward using metal instead of bamboo arose after a series of scaffolding-related deaths in Hong Kong.
Professor Jiang Liming of Hong Kong Polytechnic University also pointed out that the Wang Fook Court buildings were “relatively old”, built in the 1980s, so “the glass windows are not fireproof”.
“Modern buildings have double-glazed windows, but in this case they probably only used one layer… (making it very easy) for the fire to break them and then penetrate the facade.”
Image source, Reuters
6. Where will the evacuated residents be accommodated?
Several emergency shelters have been set up to house evacuated residents, according to the government. One shelter – at the Tung Cheung Street Sports Center – was full, and residents were directed to other shelters, the South China Morning Post reported.
Another hall, the Cuong Fuc Community Hall, located across the street from the project, has been deemed unsafe. The evacuees were transferred to another shelter far away.
BBC China correspondent Jiminy Cheng saw older residents, some using canes or wheelchairs, arriving at some of the shelters.
Agence France-Presse, citing Lee, reported that at least 900 people were staying in these temporary facilities.
The Education Bureau announced that six schools in Tai Po would remain closed on Thursday, and listed the affected schools on its website.
Security Minister Tang Pingkeong said in a statement that the Emergency Monitoring and Support Center was working to manage the impact of the fire.
Hong Kong police have set up a hotline for the public to inquire about potential victims.
*With additional reporting by Jack Lau, BBC China World, and Jiminie Cheng, BBC China in Hong Kong.
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