The worst fire in Hong Kong in the last three decades has left 55 dead and at least 279 missing after a devastating fire that consumed seven residential buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex, located in the Tai Po district. This tragedy has become the most serious in the city in 30 years.
The fire started in the afternoon of Wednesday in one of the eight blocks of the complex, spreading quickly to seven of them, each with 31 floors. The spread was accelerated by the presence of bamboo scaffolding, safety tarps and expanded polystyrene boards, flammable materials used in a rehabilitation work that started in July 2024. According to the Fire Chief, Andy Yeung, these materials acted as accelerants, allowing the flames to expand vertically and horizontally in minutes.
Response and official actions after the worst fire in Hong Kong
The police have arrested two directors and an engineering consultant of the company responsible for the works, accused of reckless homicide for the alleged use of materials that contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. In addition, the authorities will provide accommodation for more than 1,800 affected residents and activated a relief fund of 300 million Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to approximately 38 million dollars.
The Chief Executive, John Lee, described the tragedy as a massive catastrophe and suspended all political campaigns ahead of the December 7 elections, without ruling out the possibility of postponing the electoral date. He also ordered urgent inspections in all urbanizations under construction to ensure the safety of materials and structures.
Rescue operation and structural damage
In response to the worst fire in Hong Kong, 1,250 personnel, 304 emergency vehicles, 26 specialized teams and four drones for aerial monitoring were deployed. Firefighters are working floor by floor, cooling structures and searching for survivors, despite the risk of partial collapse of the scaffolding, from which fragments have already fallen.
Impact and historical context
This fire surpasses the tragedy of the Garley Building in 1996, which had been the worst urban disaster in times of peace in Hong Kong, with 41 fatalities. The current magnitude of the worst fire in Hong Kong highlights the vulnerability of residential buildings subjected to works without adequate controls on materials and safety procedures.
National and international reaction
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences and demanded maximum efforts to minimize human and material losses. Several Chinese companies and foundations have announced multi-million dollar donations to support affected families and emergency services, including 60 million Hong Kong dollars by the Jack Ma Foundation, Alibaba and Ant Group. Other major donors such as BYD, NetEase and ByteDance also contributed significant funds.
The worst fire in Hong Kong has had a profound impact on the local and global community, revealing the urgent need to improve regulations and oversight in building construction to prevent similar events from happening again. Currently, rescue efforts and searches for missing persons continue while the city assumes this unprecedented tragedy.
