The death toll from a massive fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district has risen to 75, with more than 300 people still reported missing, Reuters confirmed on Wednesday. The blaze, which erupted at 2:51 p.m. local time on Monday at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, is one of the deadliest in Hong Kong in nearly 80 years.
The fire quickly spread across multiple buildings, fueled by bamboo scaffolding and construction netting used for ongoing renovations. The complex, comprising eight towers built in the 1980s, houses around 4,800 residents, many of them elderly.
Authorities have arrested the owners of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire, the city’s worst since 1996, when 41 people died in a commercial building blaze in Kowloon.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee confirmed the rising death toll and said 29 people remained hospitalized, some in critical condition. “We are doing everything possible to locate the missing and support the affected families during this extremely difficult time,” Lee said.
The Fire Services Department elevated the incident to a level 5 alarm, the highest in Hong Kong’s emergency system, as flames shot from windows and thick smoke blanketed the skyline. Firefighters faced extreme heat, strong winds, collapsing scaffolding, and dense smoke. One firefighter died during operations, and several others were injured.
Approximately 900 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters. Survivors described scenes of panic as smoke filled stairwells and flames raced up the scaffolding.
Authorities warned that the number of fatalities and missing persons could increase as rescue operations continue. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, while Hong Kong’s ongoing use of bamboo scaffolding may come under renewed scrutiny following the disaster.
