A massive fire erupted in a residential complex comprising eight buildings in the Tai Po area of Hong Kong, resulting in 44 fatalities, including a firefighter, while 279 people remain missing, as reported by the city’s fire department on Thursday, November 27.
The department stated that 45 individuals were transported to hospitals in critical condition, and firefighting and rescue operations continue under dangerous and complex conditions. The South China Morning Post noted that the number of casualties and missing persons is continually increasing as the fire expands.
The blaze broke out Wednesday afternoon in a complex housing over 1,900 apartments, occupied by around 4,000 residents, before rapidly spreading through bamboo scaffolding attached to the buildings for ongoing maintenance work. The flame intensity was exacerbated by plastic foam covering the windows, facilitating its transition between the buildings.
Firefighting teams have managed to control the flames in three of the seven affected structures, while the fire remains raging in four others, amidst intensive efforts involving 26 firefighting teams.
In a related development, security authorities detained three individuals, including two managers of the construction company responsible for the site’s maintenance and a consultant engineer, on charges of involuntary manslaughter. Chief Police Investigator Eileen Chung Lai-yee stated that authorities have “reasons to believe that company officials acted with gross negligence that led to the rapid spread of the fire and significant human losses.”
Authorities have evacuated two residential complexes near the fire site, while approximately 900 affected individuals have been relocated to eight emergency shelters that were quickly set up.
Chinese President Xi Jinping extended his condolences to the Hong Kong government for the victims and directed the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing to provide full support to local authorities in dealing with the disaster and mitigating its impacts.
