After the fire disaster in Hong Kong Death toll rises to 83 - bamboo scaffolding under scrutiny

The death toll from one of the deadliest fires in the recent history of the metropolis of millions continues to rise. Flames are still blazing in the complex. Rescue workers are searching apartment after apartment for survivors.

DPA

27.11.2025, 20:49

dpa

The fire in a residential complex in Hong Kong has claimed the lives of at least 83 people. On Thursday, more victims were rescued from the Wang Fuk Court high-rise complex in the northern Hong Kong district of Tai Po, according to the authorities. Rescue workers with flashlights went from apartment to apartment as smoke continued to billow from some windows of the charred buildings housing thousands of residents. Recent video footage showed flames still blazing in some of the apartments.

At a press conference on Thursday, no details were given as to how many people were still missing or trapped in the fire-ravaged buildings. The night before, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee had announced that contact had been broken off with 279 people.

Pope Leo XIV wants to pray for victims

Pope Leo XIV expressed his condolences to the bishop of the Chinese city and special administrative region in a telegram on Thursday. He promised to pray for the injured, their families and the rescue workers.

Firefighters have been battling the flames since Wednesday afternoon (local time), which, according to initial findings, spread to seven of the eight buildings in the complex via bamboo scaffolding and construction nets on the façade. As of Thursday afternoon (local time), the flames had been extinguished in four of the high-rise buildings and were under control in the other three, according to the authorities.

Deputy Fire Chief Wong Ka Wing said it could not be ruled out that more casualties would be found. According to the fire department, more than 70 people have been injured so far, including eleven firefighters. Around 900 people were housed in emergency shelters overnight.

Lawrence Lee, one of the residents of the complex, was hoping for information on the fate of his wife. "When the fire broke out, I told her on the phone to escape," said Lee. "But as soon as she left the apartment, the hallway and stairwell were completely covered in smoke and it was dark, so she had no choice but to go back into the apartment." Winter and Sandy Chung were worried about their home after evacuating from one of the high-rise buildings. "I couldn't sleep all night," Winter Chung told the AP news agency on Thursday.

Suspected violation of fire safety standards

Three men were arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, including the directors and a consultant of a construction company. The police did not give the name of the company. The authorities suspect that the material used on the façade of the residential buildings did not meet fire safety standards. This could have caused the fire to spread unusually quickly.

The fire broke out on bamboo scaffolding in front of a 32-storey building and then spread to the other buildings. The wind probably also contributed to this.

The residential complex from the 1980s consisted of eight buildings with almost 2,000 apartments for around 4,800 residents, including many elderly people. The complex had recently undergone major renovation work. The Hong Kong Anti-Corruption Bureau announced on Thursday that it was investigating suspicions of corruption in connection with the renovation project.

Bamboo scaffolding is widely used in Hong Kong for construction and renovation projects. Chief Executive Lee announced that this would be put to the test.