Hong Kong’s fire authorities said they expect to finish search and rescue efforts on Friday after the city’s worst fire in almost eight decades swept through a large apartment complex, killing at least 94 people and leaving many still unaccounted for.
The blaze tore through Wang Fuk Court, a huge housing estate in Tai Po, where more than 4,600 residents live. The buildings were covered in bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting due to ongoing renovation work, which allowed the fire to spread rapidly on Wednesday afternoon.
Police have arrested the owners of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter, accusing them of using unsafe materials, including flammable foam panels that blocked windows and made escape difficult.
Firefighters were still working inside the smouldering blocks on Friday morning. Deputy Director of Fire Services Derek Armstrong Chan said most of the victims were found in two of the estate’s high-rise towers.
“We will force our way into every unit in seven of the buildings to make sure no one else is inside,” Chan told reporters.
Earlier, authorities listed 279 people as missing, though the number has not been updated in more than a day. Chan said 25 emergency calls were still unresolved, including three new ones that would be handled urgently.
Residents and families remained desperate for news. “I hope they can save more people. The firefighters have done everything they can,” said Jacky Kwok, a local resident.
Rescue teams struggled against extreme heat, thick smoke, and falling scaffolding as they tried to reach people trapped on the upper floors.
On Thursday, a heartbroken mother was seen carrying her daughter’s graduation photo while searching for her child outside an emergency shelter. “My daughter and her father are still missing,” she said through tears.
The confirmed death toll climbed to 94 on Friday. Among the victims were two Indonesian domestic workers. Hong Kong is home to more than 368,000 domestic helpers, most of them women from low-income Asian countries.
This tragedy is now the deadliest fire in Hong Kong since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze. Many have compared it to the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, where 72 people died due to unsafe cladding and poor oversight.
Police arrested two directors of Prestige Construction and an engineering consultant. The company had been working on renovation projects at Wang Fuk Court for more than a year. “We believe the company showed serious negligence, which caused the fire to spread uncontrollably,” said Police Superintendent Eileen Chung. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Authorities also raided the firm’s office, seizing documents, computers, and mobile phones. The government says it is now considering replacing traditional bamboo scaffolding with metal structures to improve safety.
Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, announced a HK$300 million (US$39 million) relief fund for affected residents, while major Chinese companies also pledged donations.
On Thursday night, many evacuees slept on mattresses inside a shopping mall, saying they wanted to leave official shelters available for those in more serious need. People of all ages, from the elderly to schoolchildren, wrapped themselves in blankets and camped near restaurants and shops as volunteers handed out food and toiletries.
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with thousands of high-rise residential buildings. With the city already facing anger over high housing costs, experts say this disaster may fuel further frustration and raise questions about safety oversight.
Both Hong Kong authorities and China’s central government moved quickly to show concern, aware that the tragedy is likely to test public confidence at a sensitive time.
