 "At least 36 killed, hundreds missing after fire engulfs high-rise buildings in Hong Kong")
At least 36 people were killed and 279 remained missing on Wednesday after Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than 30 years tore through high-rise residential buildings wrapped in flammable bamboo scaffolding, according to a Reuters report, citing officials.
More than 10 hours after the blaze erupted in the northern Tai Po district, flames and dense smoke continued to pour from the 32-storey towers as rescue crews worked through the night and stunned residents looked on.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but it spread rapidly through green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding the government began phasing out in March due to safety concerns.
Firefighters said extreme heat was making it difficult to access the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, which comprises eight blocks and roughly 2,000 apartments.
Among the dead was a firefighter, and 29 people remained in hospital, Hong Kong leader John Lee told reporters.
About 900 residents have taken refuge in eight temporary shelters.
One 71-year-old resident, surnamed Wong, wept as he said his wife was trapped inside.
“The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped. The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation,” Reuters quoted Lee as telling reporters.
Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived at Block Two in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise about 2:45 p.m. (0645 GMT) and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.
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View All“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” he told Reuters.
“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 back home.”
Xi urges ‘all-out’ effort against fire
Frames of scaffolding were seen tumbling to the ground as firefighters battled the blaze, while scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the development.
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.
Hong Kong’s sky-high property prices have long been a trigger for social discontent in the city and the fire tragedy could stoke resentment towards authorities ahead of a city-wide legislative election in early December.
Hong Kong’s Transport Department said that due to the fire, an entire section of the Tai Po road, one of Hong Kong’s two main highways, had been closed and buses were being diverted.
At least six schools will be closed on Thursday due to the fire and traffic congestion, the city’s Education Bureau said.
It was Hong Kong’s worst fire since 41 people died in a commercial building in the heart of Kowloon in November 1996.
That fire was later found to be caused by welding during internal renovations.
A public inquiry yielded sweeping updates to building standards and fire safety regulations in the city’s high-rise offices, shops and homes.
Bamboo scaffolding being phased out
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.
The government moved to start phasing that out in March, citing safety. It announced that 50% of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.
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 ($42.43 million), with each unit paying between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000.
Owning a home is a distant dream for many in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most expensive housing markets and where residential rents are hovering around record highs.
With inputs from agencies
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