Hong Kong High-Rise Fire Death Toll Rises to 94 as Safety Probe Expands

Hong Kong, Nov 28 : A massive fire that swept through a high rise housing cluster in Hong Kong entered its second day on Thursday, with firefighters still searching room by room as the Hong Kong high rise fire death toll rose to 94 making it one of the city’s deadliest residential tragedies in decades.

The blaze erupted on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, a densely populated northern district near the mainland border. According to officials, the fire began on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting surrounding one of the 32-storey buildings, then surged upward before leaping across seven of the estate’s eight blocks. Strong winds and the estate’s tightly packed structures likely intensified the spread.

Fire still active; hundreds unaccounted for

By Thursday, the once-bustling residential complex had turned into a blackened shell. Video released by authorities showed persistent flames still glowing behind shattered windows as rescue teams used flashlights to comb through units.
More than 70 people were injured, including 11 firefighters, while hundreds of residents spent the night in temporary shelters or anxiously awaited updates.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said early Thursday that authorities had lost contact with 279 residents. A later press briefing did not update the number of those missing.

Deputy Fire Services Operations Director Derek Armstrong Chan said the operation was shifting from firefighting to full-scale search and rescue, though entry remained hazardous due to falling debris, high temperatures, darkness, and scaffolding collapses blocking access routes.

Manslaughter arrests as renovation work scrutinised

The tragedy has quickly widened into a criminal and regulatory investigation. Police arrested three men, including company directors and an engineering consultant linked to the renovation contractor, on suspicion of manslaughter.

“We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent,” said Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung.

Officers also raided the offices of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, seizing boxes of documents. The firm had been responsible for renovation work at the estate.

Bamboo scaffolding under renewed debate

Wang Fuk Court, built in the 1980s and home to nearly 4,800 residents, was undergoing major refurbishment at the time of the fire. Nearly the entire exterior was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding, an iconic but increasingly criticised feature of Hong Kong’s construction industry.

Authorities indicated Thursday that they may now accelerate a shift toward metal scaffolding amid longstanding safety concerns.

Broader safety reckoning for Hong Kong

The disaster appears to be triggering a deeper review of construction practices, building governance and safety enforcement in Hong Kong’s ageing housing estates. Alongside police arrests, the city’s anti-corruption agency has opened its own inquiry, signalling widespread concern over oversight failures.

For a city where bamboo scaffolding is both tradition and necessity, the tragedy is forcing urgent reflection on whether safety standards have kept pace with modern urban density and rising renovation demands.

The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV had sent condolences to Hong Kong’s bishop, offering prayers for victims, families and emergency responders.