Hong Kong's Deadliest Blaze in Decades Claims 94 Lives
Emergency services in Hong Kong have nearly concluded their search and rescue mission at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, following a catastrophic fire that has claimed 94 lives. The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon, represents the city's most devastating fire incident in over 70 years.
Rescue Efforts and Building Safety Under Scrutiny
By Friday morning, firefighters had largely contained the inferno that burned for more than 24 hours across seven of the complex's eight towers. Deputy Director of Hong Kong Fire Services, Derek Armstrong Chan, confirmed that crews were prioritising apartments from which they had received more than two dozen distress calls during the emergency but had been unable to reach initially.
The eight-tower estate, home to more than 4,600 residents, was undergoing renovations at the time of the tragedy. The bamboo scaffolding and green mesh enveloping the buildings, along with highly flammable styrofoam used in elevator window coverings, are believed to have contributed to the fire's rapid spread.
Community Response and Official Investigation
Throughout Friday morning, distraught families gathered at the adjacent Kwong Fuk Estate community centre to identify victims recovered from the gutted structures. The number of missing persons had not been updated since early Thursday, when it stood at more than 250.
Police and corruption authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the fire's cause, resulting in the arrest of three individuals from a construction company involved in the years-long renovation project. The tragedy has sparked urgent calls for strengthened fire safety regulations within Hong Kong's construction sector, with experts highlighting that current codes of practice regarding flame-retardant materials are not legally mandatory.
