Fire ripped through eight 32-storey buildings inside a Hong Kong apartment complex on Wednesday. Over 24 hours after the level five blaze swallowed the high-rise Wang Fuk Court establishment in the Tai Po district, officials announced that fires had mostly been contained by Friday morning, as per the Guardian. On top of that, the fire department affirmed that search and rescue operation are expected to wrap up Friday, according to Reuters.
As of now, the city’s deadliest fire in decades has killed at least 128 people, with many still missing. The death toll is expected to go higher. The Thursday number of unaccounted people stood way above 250, as per reports. Those who fortunately survived the harrowing blaze are still at a loss of words, struggling to make sense of their new reality in which they “have nothing, not even clothes,” a man who fled down an emergency stairwell with his two dogs told CNN.
With search operations involving rescuers pulling survivors out of the Hong Kong blaze, the common man is now raising significant questions about how such a tragedy was allowed to happen in the densely populated city.
Hong Kong fire survivors recall traumatic escape scenes
Lau Yu Hung, a resident of a 19th-floor apartment, was one of the lucky people to have made it out alive. In his survivor’s account, the retired 78-year-old man said, as reported by the New York Times, “Nobody warned us,” adding, “No alarm went off. We escaped by ourselves.”
The Hong Kong resident further illustrated the nightmarish vision, which unfolded as the fast-rising fire seemed to climbing the high towers.
In another instance, a rescuers pulled a male survivor from the 16th story of the Hong Kong residential complex.
As the blaze survivors have currently been placed in emergency shelters arranged in schools and sports centres, some of them spoke to CNN about their escape scenarios. An 8th-floor resident in his 40s told the outlet that he was watching television at his home when he heard screams. “The instant I opened the window, I saw the smoke,” he revealed.
Having spent the night at the shelter with his wife, the survivor further noted, “There’s no home to go back to. We have nothing, not even clothes.”
Hong Kong leaders have since instated a “one social worker per household” police to ensure wholehearted assistance in the hour of need. City leader John Lee also noted that psychologists would be provided to offer emotion support to residents, as per CNN.
Yet another 40-year-old resident with the surname Au told the outlet that his family never heard the building alarm go off despite them having smelled fire and heard the sound of bamboo scaffolding–a traditional material used in construction–burning and falling.
While some have survived to tell their harrowing experiences, others going through the collective pain are still hoping to be reunited with their currently missing family members. A person, who had been out for work at the time of the blaze, returned to witness the devastating visuals.
As he wasn’t allowed inside the building, his parents, who are in their 70s and live in a different apartment on the same floor as him and his wife, are yet to be found, as per CNN.
A man identifying as Mr Lau shared a similar account about missing parents with reporters on the scene. “At the scene I know nothing,” he said, as per the Guardian. “I just want to know if my parents are alive or dead. If they’ve died I don’t want to even see the bodies, I only want to know they’re gone so at least I won’t keep worrying.”
Someone who lived on the 10th floor of one of the Wai Fuk Court towers told the Guardian, ” don’t want to watch TV, I don’t want to look at community groups, I don’t want to read any news on my phone.” She opened up about her neighbours being missing, adding, “I just want life to go back to normal, but right now it feels very difficult.”
What caused the apartment complex fire in Hong Kong?
Police have since arrested three contractors on suspicion of manslaughter, according to Reuters. They are currently being accused of using unsafe material, including foam boards, netting and sheeting, in renovations of the eight-tower residential estate that housed over 4,6000 people.
These towers have been undergoing renovation since July 2024, according to Reuters. At around 2:51 pm, the fire started at the complex’s Wang Cheong House, spreading to nearby Wang Tai House and Wang Shing House. Seven of the eight buildings were on fire by 7:30 pm.
The lengthy Reuters report highlighted police currently blaming the blaze on a “grossly negligent” construction firm using inflammable materials. Officials pointed out that the buildings were covered with mesh sheets and plastic that weren’t at part with fire standards. On top of that, windows in a building were with foam material, as also recounted by one of the survivors.
Hong Kong police superintendent Eileen Chung said, “We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties.”
Although a traditional measure in Hong Kong construction, the use bamboo scaffolding and netting has severely come under scrutiny in the wake of the massive tragedy.