Here’s the latest on the fire
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44 people are confirmed dead after Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades, with dozens more currently in hospital. At least 279 people are still missing as firefighters and rescue crews begin searching some of the buildings.
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The fires have not been fully extinguished, although the flames in four buildings are under control.
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Three people were arrested early this morning local time on suspicion of manslaughter. Police did not provide any details about what the trio were accused of doing, although a police spokesperson told the New York Times they are two directors of a construction company and one consultant.
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Officials said they will look at materials used in the buildings exterior they say may have contributed to the blaze, as well as the bamboo scaffolding surrounding the towers, which were undergoing renovations.
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More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues.
Key events
The cause of the Hong Kong blaze is not yet known but the fire has been fanned by green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding – a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.
On mainland China, where use of bamboo in construction originated from ancient times, scaffolding is now mainly metal, Reuters reports.
Hong Kong’s government moved to start phasing out bamboo scaffolding in March, citing worker safety after 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024.
It announced that 50% of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.
Word from residents of the housing complex has been coming through, including a 71-year-old resident surnamed Wong who said through tears that his wife was trapped inside.
Harry Cheung, who has lived at block 2 in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise about 2.45pm and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.
“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” the 66-year-old 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.
Dozens of stunned residents, many sobbing, have been watching the blaze as smoke billowed from the housing complex.
“There’s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely,” a Tai Po resident who gave their surname as So told Agence France-Presse near the scene.
It’s heartbreaking. We’re worried there are people trapped inside.
China’s leader Xi Jinping has urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the Hong Kong fire and to minimise casualties and losses, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has reported.
Section of the Tai Po Road closed
An entire section of the Tai Po Road – one of Hong Kong’s two main highways – has been closed due to the fire, and buses are being diverted.
At least six schools will be closed on Thursday because of the fire and traffic congestion, Reuters quoted the city’s education bureau as saying.
Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated areas. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with about 300,000 residents.
Here’s the latest on the fire
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44 people are confirmed dead after Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades, with dozens more currently in hospital. At least 279 people are still missing as firefighters and rescue crews begin searching some of the buildings.
-
The fires have not been fully extinguished, although the flames in four buildings are under control.
-
Three people were arrested early this morning local time on suspicion of manslaughter. Police did not provide any details about what the trio were accused of doing, although a police spokesperson told the New York Times they are two directors of a construction company and one consultant.
-
Officials said they will look at materials used in the buildings exterior they say may have contributed to the blaze, as well as the bamboo scaffolding surrounding the towers, which were undergoing renovations.
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More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues.
Evacuees from the Wang Fuk Court residential estate rest in nearby shelters.
Fire under control at four buildings in Wang Fuk Court complex
The flames at four of the residential buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex are now under control. The South China Morning Post reports search efforts have started in those buildings on lower levels, with rescue teams slowly moving up through the 13th to 23rd floors of some of those towers.
They are expected to reach the top floors in the coming hours, with 26 rescue teams on site.
The South China Morning Post also reports that police said they have not ruled out foam materials used to seal windows on the buildings and for other purposes contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.
Police confirm three people arrested on suspicion of manslaughter
Hong Kong police confirmed three people between the ages of 52 and 68 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
Death toll rises to 44
The death toll has risen again to 44, fire officials say.
Officials said they are still having difficulties proceeding into the upper floors in some of the buildings in the residential complex as the fire continues.
Those killed or injured in the fires have mostly suffered from burns and smoke inhalation, rescue workers said.
Death toll rises to 40
At least 40 people have died during the blaze, officials announced at an early morning press conference.
Forty-five others are in critical condition.
Police have arrested three people after the deadly blaze on suspicion of manslaughter, according to local news reports. We’re expected to hear more on those arrests shortly.
Hong Kong fire officials are about to hold a press conference with the latest details from the blaze. We’ll bring you live updates from that event.
Firefighters have received calls from trapped residents, but are battling difficult conditions
Firefighters have struggled to reach the upper floors of the high-rise buildings, even after hours battling the blaze.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s leader, said earlier:
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.
Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of Fire Service operations, said it had received “numerous” calls for assistance and that some residents remained trapped as of Wednesday night. He said, per the Associated Press:
Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings [is] falling down. The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.
Where is Tai Po?
Tai Po, one of Hong Kong’s 18 districts, sits in the north of the region in the New Territories. The district is home to about 300,000 people.
The Wang Fuk Court towers are among the tallest in the district. Reuters reports the buildings have been occupied since 1983 and remain part of the government’s subsidised home ownership scheme. The complex has been undergoing renovations over the past year.
Here’s what we know
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At least 36 people are dead after a huge fire engulfed several residential high rises at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po. The complex is made up of eight 32-storey towers, contenting about 2,000 flats. Around 4,800 people live there.
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Another 279 people are missing, John Lee, the city’s leader, said earlier today. Dozens of others were hospitalised.
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More than 128 fire engines and nearly 800 firefighters were dispatched the scene, where they have spent hours trying to get the blazes under control. At least one firefighter was among the dead.
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The cause of the fire was not immediately known after it reportedly started just before 3pm local time, quickly spreading through the buildings, which were covered in bamboo scaffolding.
Welcome to our live blog after a devastating fire broke out at a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong. We’ll bring you the latest updates – including from a press conference with Hong Kong police – soon.
Stick with us.
