The catastrophic fire devastated Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po district (Hong Kong, China) on the afternoon of November 27, killing at least 44 people and leaving 279 missing. This is one of the largest fires to cause casualties in Hong Kong (China) in decades.
According to the Hong Kong Fire Department (China), 45 people are in critical condition, hundreds others were hospitalized with multiple injuries. Heavy black smoke and fierce fire burned down the bamboo scaffolding surrounding 7 out of 8 31-storey buildings.
The fire started at 2:51 p.m. on November 27 and quickly beyond control. After only 40 minutes, the warning was raised to level 4, and at 6:22 p.m. the same day, the fire was classified as level 5 - the most serious level on the warning scale of Hong Kong (China).
Police said they received many distress calls from stranded residents. A man and a woman were found unconscious, with serious burns as rescue forces approached the building where the fire started.
Images at the scene show bamboo scaffolding and the green luoi outside the building burning red, many pieces of the nets falling like "coral rain".
By dawn on November 27, the police revealed many shocking details: The un burned floors were covered with a safety net, plastic tarpaulin and waterproofing panels, while the windows were covered with styrofoam foam - a type of flammable material that can cause the fire to spread unusually quickly.
At around 2am, the police arrested 3 subjects, including 2 directors and 1 consulting engineer of the construction company, with the accusation of poisoning due to "serious lack of responsibility".
Eileen Chung Lai-yee, head of New Territories North Police, said the construction company used materials that did not meet fire safety standards: We have reason to believe that the cranes caused the fire to spread rapidly and caused a large number of casualties.
The government confirmed that Prestige Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd. is in charge of the renovation project at Wang Fuk Court.
By the morning of November 27, after more than 15 hours of firefighting, the fire fighting force said that 4 out of 7 buildings had been largely extinguished. Rescue teams have begun searching for survivors on the lower floors and continue climbing from the 13th to the 23rd floors of some buildings. They are expected to reach the top floor at sunset, with 26 rescue teams operating continuously.
Although the fire has decreased, black smoke is still rising dense in the morning, the smell of burning plastic is strong, and ashes are scattered around the residential area.
Head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) Li Jia Zioi visited Prince of Wales Hospital overnight to visit the victim, and thanked neighboring cities and central governments for their support. General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping previously expressed his condolences and requested "efforts to minimize casualties".
Hong Kong (China) security chief Chris Tang said the rate of fire spread was unusual, especially when the fire shield exceeded the safety regulations.
The authorities are committed to launching a comprehensive investigation, including criminal direction, to clarify the cause of the apartment fire - especially the use of substandard foam and scaffolding. Experts warn that this disaster could be a valuable lesson in construction standards in high-rise residential areas.
