A massive fire swept through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least 44 people, including one firefighter, and critically injuring dozens of residents. The blaze triggered large-scale rescue operations, with about 280 people still missing as of Thursday morning, according to The Guardian.
The fire broke out at 2:52 p.m. at the high-rise complex in Tai Po, in the northern New Territories of the city. Authorities said the fire started on external scaffolding made of bamboo and attached to Wang Cheong House and spread quickly along scaffolding and construction netting to seven of the eight buildings in the complex, which contains nearly 2,000 apartments and about 4,800 residents.
Given the size of the complex and the intensity of the fire, Hong Kong authorities rapidly launched a massive evacuation, sending around 200 fire engines and more than 100 ambulances to the scene. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that more than 900 people had taken shelter in temporary facilities. However, many residents in the complex were unaware of the alarms because their windows were closed, which complicated the evacuation.
Even though the cause of the fire has yet to be identified, police have already arrested three men connected to the construction company responsible for maintenance at the complex. The company is suspected of negligence.
Hong Kong is one of the few major cities still using bamboo as a material for construction scaffolding. However, due to frequent worker deaths, the government has begun phasing it out.
Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping, speaking from mainland China, urged Hong Kong authorities to do everything possible to control the fire and offered condolences to the victims’ families and others affected. Several major Chinese companies, including Anta Group, Tencent, Xiaomi and Alibaba Group, among others, announced donations to help with rescue and relief efforts.
Earlier this year, a similar intense blaze destroyed the Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu Province, Turkey, killing at least 78 people and injuring 51. Following the investigation, Turkish authorities sentenced 11 people, including the owner of the hotel, to life in prison over the fire.
