Death toll from massive Hong Kong blaze rises to 65, with over 250 missing; police blame construction firm

The death toll from a massive blaze in a Hong Kong apartment complex rose to 65 on Thursday, with over 250 still missing, as police said the fire may have been caused by a “grossly negligent” construction firm using unsafe materials.

Almost a full day after the fire began, firefighters were struggling to reach residents potentially trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex due to intense heat and thick smoke from the blaze that erupted on Wednesday afternoon.

Hong Kong’s government said the death toll from the fire had risen to 65.

The fire had “claimed 65 lives and injured 70 people” by 8pm local time (5pm PKT), a government spokesperson told AFP, citing fire service figures, adding that 10 firefighters had been injured since the blaze broke out yesterday.

The tightly packed complex in the northern Tai Po district has 2,000 apartments in eight blocks that are home to more than 4,600 people in a city struggling with chronic shortages of affordable housing.

“We bought [a place] in this building more than 20 years ago. All of our belongings were in this building, and now that it has all burned like this, what’s left?” asked a 51-year-old resident with the surname Wan.

“There’s nothing left. What are we supposed to do?”

A firefighter was among those killed, with dozens in hospital in critical condition, Hong Kong authorities said on Thursday afternoon. Around 279 people remain uncontactable.

Among the dead was a 37-year-old firefighter, who was found with burns on his face half an hour after losing contact with colleagues, according to the fire service director Andy Yeung.

Earlier in the day, a government spokesman told AFP that 56 people were being treated in hospital. Sixteen were in a critical condition, 24 in a serious condition and 16 were stable.

Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent, said 900 residents were spread across eight shelters.

The fire was still burning in the afternoon, more than 24 hours after it started.

Sections of charred scaffolding fell from the burning blocks, and flames could be seen inside apartments, sometimes belching out through windows into the night sky, casting an eerie orange glow on surrounding buildings. An AFP reporter heard loud cracking sounds, possibly from the burning bamboo.

A 65-year-old resident surnamed Yuen said he had lived in the complex for more than four decades and that many of his neighbours were elderly and might not be mobile.

“The windows were closed because of the maintenance, [some people] didn’t know there was a fire and had to be told to evacuate via phone calls by neighbours,” Yuen told AFP. “I’m devastated.”

A woman surnamed Ng, 52, was distraught as she searched for her daughter outside a shelter. “She and her father are still not out yet. They didn’t have water to save our building,” she sobbed, carrying her daughter’s graduation photo.

Authorities said they had brought the blaze in four of seven blocks under control, with operations continuing in three. Bamboo scaffolding is a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but has been subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.

Three arrested

Police officers searched the housing estate’s building maintenance company on Thursday morning, seizing documents that mention Wang Fuk Court, local media reported. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” said police superintendent Chung.

Three men from the construction company, two directors and one engineering consultant, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire, she added.

Police said in addition to the buildings being covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that may not meet fire standards, they discovered some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material, installed by a construction company carrying out year-long maintenance work.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that two Indonesian migrant workers “in the domestic sector” died in the fire and two others were injured.

The death toll is now the highest in a Hong Kong fire since 1948, when 176 people were killed in a warehouse blaze. Hong Kong’s corruption body said it has launched an investigation into suspected corruption related to the renovation.

China’s Xi urges ‘all-out’ effort against fire

From the mainland, China’s President Xi Jinping urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and to minimise casualties and losses, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said.

Xi expressed condolences to the victims, including “the firefighter who died in the line of duty”, according to state media.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives and property.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese nation, particularly the people of Hong Kong on this tragic incident,” he said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families, and we wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” he said.

“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people and government of China, especially the Hong Kong SAR (special administrative region), during this difficult time. May the affected families find strength and healing. Pakistan and China will always stand together,” he said.

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also said he was deeply saddened to learn about the “devastating fire”.

“On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, I extend our deepest condolences and profound sympathy to you, the Hong Kong special administrative region government, and especially to the families of the victims. Our thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones, and we pray for the swift and complete recovery of the injured,” he said.

Searching for relatives

Harry Cheung, aged 66, who has lived at Block Two in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise at about 2:45pm (11:45am PKT) and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.

“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” he said. “I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight.”

Another long-time resident, a woman surnamed Chu, said she still had not been able to contact her friends who live in the next block. After staying over at a friend’s place on Wednesday night, the 70-year-old came back to see her home still burning.

“We don’t know what to do,” she said.

An online app showed missing persons reports submitted through a linked Google document that detailed residents of individual towers and rooms.

It includes descriptions like “Mother-in-law in her 70s, missing”, or “one boy and one girl”, or “Rooftop: 33-year-old male.” One description simply says “27th floor, room 1: He is dead”.

Reuters could not independently verify the information on the app.

The fire has prompted comparisons to the Grenfell Tower inferno that killed 72 people in London in 2017. That fire was blamed on firms fitting the exterior with flammable cladding, as well as failings by the government and the construction industry.

“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the horrific fire in Hong Kong,” the Grenfell United survivors’ group said on social media. “To the families, friends and communities, we stand with you. You are not alone.”

A Tai Po resident surnamed So, 57, said the fire was “heartbreaking”.

“There’s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely,” So told AFP.

An apartment owner in his 40s who did not want to give his name told AFP that the government needed to help those made homeless by the blaze.

“The fire is not yet under control and I dare not leave, and I don’t know what I can do,” he said.

Residents were seen being evacuated via large coaches, with local media reporting that adjacent blocks were also being cleared. Sections of a nearby highway were also closed by the firefighting operation.

Hong Kong’s sky-high property prices have long been a trigger for social discontent in the city and the fire tragedy could further stoke resentment towards authorities ahead of a city-wide legislative election in early December.

Deadly fires were once a regular scourge in Hong Kong, especially in poorer neighbourhoods. However, safety measures have been ramped up in recent decades and such fires have become much less commonplace.

Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with some 300,000 residents.

Occupied since 1983, the complex is under the government’s subsidised home ownership scheme, according to property agency websites. According to online posts, it has been undergoing renovations for a year at a cost of HK$330 million ($42.43m), with each unit paying between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000.