Hong Kong fire authorities have announced that search and rescue operations at the devastated Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po are expected to conclude by Friday morning, following the city’s most catastrophic blaze in nearly eight decades.
The massive fire, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon, ripped through the eight-tower public housing estate home to over 4,600 residents. At the time, the complex was undergoing renovation works and was fully enveloped in traditional bamboo scaffolding covered with green safety mesh—materials that helped the flames spread rapidly.
Death Toll Rises to 94 as Searches Continue
The Hospital Authority confirmed early Friday that the death toll has reached 94, making this the worst fire disaster in Hong Kong since 1948, when 176 people perished in a warehouse blaze. Most victims were recovered from two of the towers.
Deputy Director of Fire Services Derek Chan told the media that firefighters were making forced entries into every unit across the seven most affected buildings to rule out further casualties. Twenty-five outstanding emergency calls, including three received in the past few hours, remain unresolved and are being prioritised.
Arrests Made Over Alleged Use of Flammable Materials
Police have arrested two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction, the contractor responsible for maintenance work at the estate for over a year. The three face manslaughter charges.
Superintendent Eileen Chung said investigators believe the company’s personnel were grossly negligent, particularly in the use of highly flammable foam boards that blocked windows, allowing the fire to spread uncontrollably. Authorities raided the firm’s office, seizing bidding documents, employee records, 14 computers and three mobile phones. Prestige Construction has not responded to requests for comment.
Residents Left Homeless, Community Steps In
Around 900 displaced residents are being housed in eight temporary shelters. On Thursday night, many others chose to sleep rough in a nearby shopping mall or on the street, insisting that official centres should be reserved for those most in need.
Volunteers distributed food, drinks and toiletries as families, including elderly residents and schoolchildren, huddled under blankets outside fast-food outlets and convenience stores.
One mother, surnamed Ng, aged 52, wept outside a shelter while clutching her missing daughter’s graduation photo. “She and her father are still not out yet,” she said. “They didn’t have water to save our building.”
Government Response and Calls for Safer Scaffolding
The Development Bureau has begun discussions on phasing out bamboo scaffolding in favour of metal alternatives across the city. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has established a HK$300 million relief fund for affected families, and several major mainland Chinese companies have pledged donations.
Resident Jacky Kwok praised the firefighters’ efforts, saying, “Hope they can find more survivors. I think they had tried their best. It is a terrible disaster that no one wanted to happen.”
Echoes of Grenfell Tower Tragedy
The disaster has drawn inevitable comparisons with London’s 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, where 72 people died after flammable cladding fuelled a rapid blaze. Like Grenfell, questions are already being raised about construction safety standards, contractor accountability and oversight in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
As the smouldering ruins of Wang Fuk Court are finally searched unit by unit, Hong Kong mourns a tragedy that has exposed deep vulnerabilities in its high-rise public housing system.
