Deadliest blaze in decades: 128 confirmed dead, 200 still missing
The death toll from the huge fire that ravaged a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong has reached 128, as authorities concluded a massive search and rescue operation. About 200 people remain unaccounted for at the site.
The fire broke out on 26 November at Wang Fuk Court, a public-housing estate in the Tai Po district, and quickly engulfed seven of its eight 31-storey towers. The inferno is now the deadliest residential fire in Hong Kong in nearly 80 years.
Rescue and recovery efforts involved more than 2,300 emergency personnel — firefighters, paramedics and police — but even after the fire was brought under control, many apartments remained unaccessed or inaccessible due to persistent hazards.
Fire alarms failed — safety systems didn’t trigger
Officials, including the head of the fire services, confirmed that many of the complex’s fire alarms did not work properly during the blaze. Some alarms failed to sound at all, according to post-fire inspections.
That failure likely contributed to the high death toll — many residents reportedly had no warning when flames and smoke started engulfing buildings, and missed any opportunity for timely evacuation.
What fueled the fire — scaffolding, materials and renovation context
At the time of the blaze, the estate was undergoing renovation and wrapped in external scaffolding and green mesh — traditional bamboo scaffolding covered with netting, plus foam or insulation materials on windows and external finishes.
Statements by firefighting officials suggest the fire began externally, on the scaffolding or netting, then spread rapidly upward and inward, aided by wind, flammable materials and falling debris — turning what might have been a contained blaze into a catastrophe across multiple towers.
This raises serious questions about the safety of renovation materials and the use of traditional scaffolding methods — already criticized in previous fire-safety discussions.
Legal action and broader investigation underway
In the wake of the fire, authorities have made a number of arrests. Several individuals — including directors, project managers, subcontractors, and consultants associated with the renovation — are being held on suspicion of gross negligence and manslaughter.
An anti-corruption agency has launched a task force to investigate potential corruption and regulatory lapses in the renovation works and building safety compliance at Wang Fuk Court.
The scandal has triggered public outrage and renewed demands for sweeping reforms in fire safety standards, construction regulations, and enforcement — especially for high-density residential complexes. Reuters+2Le Monde.fr+2
Aftermath: displacement, grief and uncertainty
Thousands of residents — many of them elderly, migrant workers, or from low-income households — have been left homeless. Temporary shelters and relief centres have been set up, but with 200 people still missing and a large number of unidentifiable remains, families face uncertainty and anguish.
The tragedy has shaken trust in Hong Kong’s public-housing safety protocols, sparked fears across similar housing estates, and raised urgent questions about the future of renovation practices in the city’s densely populated neighborhoods.
