A massive fire that tore through a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday has tragically resulted in at least 13 fatalities, with many residents still feared trapped. The disaster prompted the deployment of over 700 firefighters and an immediate upgrade to a Level 5 alarm, the highest severity rating in Hong Kong.
Key Details of the Incident:
Location: Wang Fuk Court, a high-rise residential housing complex in the Tai Po district, New Territories.
Casualties: 13 confirmed dead (nine at the scene, four later at the hospital). At least 15 others were injured, and one of the deceased was a firefighter.
Evacuations: Approximately 700 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters.
Severity: The blaze was upgraded to a Level 5 alarm, the highest level of severity, after starting mid-afternoon and continuing to rage late into the night.
Spread: The fire spread rapidly across multiple (up to seven) high-rise buildings, reportedly aided by bamboo scaffolding and construction netting erected around the exterior for renovation work.
Challenges: Firefighting and rescue operations were severely hampered by falling debris, high temperatures inside the buildings, and thick smoke, making internal entry difficult.
Vulnerable Residents: A local council member reported that many of the residents believed to be trapped were elderly people.
The complex, consisting of eight blocks with nearly 2,000 apartments, is home to around 4,800 people. Authorities have deployed 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.