Hong Kong tower blocks fire kills dozens as rescuers race to find hundreds missing

At least 36 people have died and nearly 300 are still unaccounted for after a huge fire tore through several high rise buildings in Hong Kong, prompting one of the city’s largest emergency responses in years.

Flames first erupted on Wednesday afternoon at Wang Cheong House, a 32 storey tower in the Tai Po district, and spread quickly through neighbouring blocks at the Wang Fuk Court estate. The building was covered in bamboo scaffolding for renovation work, which firefighters say helped the blaze race up the exterior within minutes.

Read also: Work visa costs increase by over 700% in Hong Kong as deficit hits HK$80.3 bn

By early Thursday, Hong Kong leader John Lee said the confirmed death toll had risen to 36, with 279 people still missing. Twenty nine others were in hospital, seven of them in critical condition.

Thick smoke and fierce orange flames poured from the upper floors through the night as hundreds of firefighters fought to reach those trapped. At one point, officials said 888 first responders were on the scene, backed by 128 fire engines and 57 ambulances. The fire was escalated to a level five alarm, the city’s highest warning, shortly after nightfall.

Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department, said the conditions inside the towers were “extremely dangerous”, with intense heat, falling debris and collapsing scaffolding blocking access for rescue teams.

“It is very difficult for us to enter the buildings and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations,” he said. “We received many calls for help from residents.”

Read also:NFIU flags N48b in suspicious transfers from Nigeria to Dubai, Hong Kong

Local media reported that some people were believed to be trapped on higher floors of the buildings. Nine victims were declared dead at the scene earlier on Wednesday, before the death toll rose overnight.

A resident identified as Ms So, 57, told AFP she feared some neighbours had not escaped. “It is heartbreaking,” she said near the burning towers. “We are worried there are people trapped inside.”
Police said early Thursday that three men had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire.

Read also:New visa scheme eases global recruitment for Hong Kong’s tech industry

Tai Po is a long established district near the mainland border, home to about 300000 people. The Wang Fuk Court complex consists of eight blocks and nearly two thousand flats. Government figures show more than four thousand residents live there, many of them older than sixty five.

Firefighters spent hours battling flames and searching for survivors as smoke blanketed the area. By dawn, emergency crews were still working to reach the upper levels of the damaged buildings, while families gathered nearby waiting for news of missing relatives.

Officials say the priority is locating those still unaccounted for, with rescue operations expected to continue through Thursday.