Hong Kong is reeling from one of its worst residential disasters in decades after a fierce blaze tore through a multi-tower housing estate in Tai Po on Wednesday, killing 36 people and leaving 279 unaccounted for. The fire broke out shortly after noon and rapidly escalated, overwhelming emergency responders and sending shockwaves across the territory.
Firefighters battled the flames throughout the evening, yet the fire continued to burn across the upper storeys of the 32-floor blocks long after nightfall. Officials reported that the extreme heat made it impossible to reach higher levels, while darkness and thick plumes of smoke severely impaired visibility. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The incident occurred within Wang Fuk Court, an expansive residential complex of eight towers containing around 2,000 flats. With more than 4,600 residents living there, authorities have struggled to determine exactly how many people were inside at the time. The Fire Services Department confirmed that some of the deceased were firefighters who had entered the building during the initial response.
The human toll is stark. Residents watched helplessly as flames engulfed their homes. A 71-year-old man, Mr Wong, wept as he explained that his wife was trapped inside one of the burning buildings. Another resident, Harry Cheung, expressed disbelief at the scale of the disaster: “I don’t think I’ll be going home tonight. I don’t know where I’ll stay.”
The blaze disrupted major transport routes, prompting the closure of one of the area’s key highways. Vehicles were redirected, creating congestion across nearby districts. The Education Bureau later announced the closure of at least six schools on Thursday as a precaution.
In Beijing, President Xi Jinping instructed government departments to intensify efforts to bring the fire under control and to focus on preventing further casualties.
This tragedy now ranks among Hong Kong’s worst. Prior to this, the city’s deadliest fire occurred in 1996, when a commercial building in Kowloon caught fire, killing 41 people. The latest inferno has once again exposed the challenges of emergency response in densely populated high-rise urban environments.