Closing summary
Hong Kong is mourning after 83 people were killed in the fire, among them a firefighter and two Indonesian domestic workers.
Another 79 people are battling injuries in hospital. And many more people are still waiting to hear from their missing loved ones. Authorities have not given an update on that number – reported earlier on Thursday as more than 250 people.
The complex is made up of eight 32-storey towers, containing about 2,000 flats, and were being renovated at the time. About 4,800 people live there.
Derek Chan, the deputy fire services director, said their hoses had reached the remaining units still on fire, and flames are expected to be fully out by 9am local time on Friday.
The fire department official said their operations had been hampered by the fire’s intense heat.
Debris and scaffolding falling from the higher levels had also made access to the buildings difficult, along with the high temperatures and darkness.
Three men aged between 52 and 68 were arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of manslaughter. The trio – two directors and one engineering consultant – worked at a construction company, police said.
Police alleged they had reason to believe the company’s responsible parties were “grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties”.
Police did not name the company but later on Thursday searched the office of a construction and engineering company. They seized boxes of documents as evidence, according to local media.
We’ll draw our live coverage of the tragic disaster in Hong Kong to a close now.
The Chinese territory is mourning after eighty three people were kiled in the fire, among them a firefighter and two Indonesian domestic workers.
Another 79 people are battling injuries in hospital. And many more people are still waiting to hear from their missing loves ones. Authorities have not given an update on that number – reported earlier on Thursday as more than 250 people.
Anger swelling in Hong Kong over deadliest fire in more than 70 years
As firefighters work to bring the fire under control and make progress with rescue efforts, anger is already swelling among Hongkongers about the causes of the fire.
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has said the government would set up a HK$300m (£29.2m) fund to help residents and that the city’s development bureau had discussed replacing bamboo scaffolding with metal alternatives.
But some Hongkongers are angry about the focus that has been put on bamboo as a potential accelerant of the fire. On Thursday afternoon, much of the bamboo scaffolding remained standing, with the green mesh between the poles having been incinerated.
The angry people think that blaming bamboo – which the government has already pledged to phase out from public construction works – deflects responsibility from the actual cause of the fire, which is still unknown. Bamboo scaffolding is treasured as an important part of the local heritage, and is something that distinguishes Hong Kong from mainland China, where steel scaffolds are widely used in construction.
Residents of Wang Fuk Court had complained for months about shoddy behaviour from the construction company, said Michael Mo, a former Hong Kong district councillor who now lives in the UK. He was born in the Tai Po area where Wang Fuk Court is located.
Last year, the text of an email purportedly from the Hong Kong labour department was posted on a Wang Fuk Court residents group. Responding to inquiries about the maintenance works, the email said that because the works didn’t involve open flames, “the risk of fire from the scaffolding is relatively low”. It said that the Labour Department’s regulations did not cover flame-retardant standards for scaffolding. The department has been contacted for comment.
The fire has also tapped into the social anxiety in Hong Kong around affordable housing, where sky-high property prices mean that many people live in tightly packed high-rise apartments that can become death traps when disaster strikes.
Updated
Fire expected to be fully extinguished tonight
There wasn’t too much new information in that fire officials’ press conference but it’s clear they believe their operation is drawing to a close.
Derek Chan, the deputy fire services director, said their hoses had reached the remaining units still on fire, and flames are expected to be fully out by 9am Friday.
Most efforts are now on the search and rescue mission – there were still 25 calls to attend to, Mr Chan said, adding that three of those calls had come in recent hours.
Ambulance official Lam Cheuk-ho reiterated that they had discovered 79 fatalities at the scene. A total of 76 people have been sent to hospital with injuries.
Updated
The fire department official said their operations had been hampered by the fire’s intense heat.
“We encountered particular difficulties in several areas, like the fire spreading exceptionally fast and rapidly.”
Debris and scaffolding falling from the higher levels had also made access to the buildings difficult, along with the high temperatures and darkness.
That conference has ended now.
Updated
An ambulance official just spoke and said they had recorded 79 fatalities.
We had the update about an hour ago that 83 people have now died from the fire, the majority of whom were found at the scene.
Updated
Fire officials say their operations to extinguish the fires are nearly complete.
However they are still endeavouring with the search and rescue operation, and will push through the night to reach a remaining group of units in the seven blocks “to ensure there are no other casualties”.
Authorities said they still had 25 outstanding cases where people had called for help.
Updated
The fire department officials are delivering the latest update now.
You can watch this in the live stream at the top of this blog.
Updated
Firefighter killed on Wednesday night named
Earlier on Thursday the fire department had identified Ho Wai-ho, 37, as the firefighter killed in the blaze.
He was found collapsed in the towers about 30 minutes after his colleagues lost contract with him.
Eleven other firefighters have been injured so far, the fire department says.
“Despite the complex conditions at the scene, the firefighters’ rescue efforts will not stop,” Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee said on Thursday night.
We’re expecting a 1am press conference from the fire department shortly. We can expect more information on the fatalities and number of people still trapped in the towers then.
Updated
Death roll rises to 83
Hong Kong fire services say the number of dead has now risen to 83 people, as of Thursday midnight local time.
At least 75 people are injured, and there are still at least 250 reported missing.
Police have alleged flammable scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of the deadliest fire in the city in decades.
Updated
What we know about the criminal negligence alleged
Hong Kong and Chinese authorities moved swiftly the day after the fire in arresting the bosses of a construction firm contracted to carry out the buildings’ maintenance.
Police said they had arrested two directors and an engineering consultant on suspicion of manslaughter.
Hong Kong police superintendent Eileen Chung said:
“We have reason to believe the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties”.
They did not name the company but later on Thursday searched the firm’s offices where they seized boxes of documents as evidence.
The government separately identified the registered contractor for the Wang Fuk Court buildings as Prestige Construction and Engineering Company.
At a press conference on Thursday, officials said they had checked the safety standards of 11 other sites maintained by Prestige.
Updated
As the scale of the tragedy becomes clearer, leaders around the world have turned to Hong Kong to offer condolences.
A “saddened” Pope Leo issued a statement sending “spiritual solidarity to all those suffering … especially the injured and the families who grieve”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also sent a message to his ally, China’s leader Xi Jinping, Russian media reported.
“We worked for so many years to buy the house,” James Tang tells my colleague Helen Davidson outside the towers.
“And now it’s gone up in flames.”
You can watch Helen’s report below:
Updated
Death toll rises to 75, with 76 injured
Hong Kong police have alleged unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of a devastating fire at a group of residential tower blocks that has killed at least 75 people and left more than 250 missing.
Firefighters were still battling to reach people who could be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday due to the intense heat and thick smoke generated by the fire.
On Thursday evening authorities said the death toll had reached 75, with 76 injured, including 11 firefighters, making it the deadliest Hong Kong fire in decades.
Fire service officials said blazes in four of the eight apartment blocks in the estate had been extinguished and that three fires were under control. One building was not affected.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, said in the early hours of Thursday that 279 people were unaccounted for, though firefighters said later that they had established contact with some of those people. Authorities have not updated the figure since. Lee said more than 900 people had sought refuge at temporary shelters overnight.
Updated
The community is reeling, and some are angry: police suspect the fire was caused by “grossly negligent” action.
Hong Kong police have alleged unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of the fire, and three people from the related construction company have been arrested. The Independent Commission Against Corruption has already announced a taskforce.
There have been long-running complaints about the renovation, including allegations the alarms were switched off months ago by construction workers, and that workers smoked on site.
There have also been broader concerns about the safety standards for the mesh used on sites. A video being widely shared on Thursday shows a local council member setting fire to a piece of green construction mesh and watching it quickly melt and burn.
By nightfall on Thursday, the surrounding area was still filled with people – emergency services, onlookers, neighbours, victims and their families. Outside a building the deceased were being identified, people left sobbing, clutching at each other. Some wore blankets over their heads to avoid the cameras.
Pastor Samson Wong, from the Cumberland Presbyterian church, was waiting with a crowd of volunteers to give emotional and psychological support to the families who have lost people.
“They have enough material supplies, but they need emotional support,” he said.
Updated
City's parliamentary elections might be affected amid mourning period
With Hong Kong plunged into mourning in the wake of this tragedy, the city’s leader John Lee has declared that all immediate citywide celebrations will be postponed or cancelled.
All government resources need to be focused on Wang Fuk Court right now.
He suggested it might also affect elections on 7 December for the Legislative Council – Hong Kong’s mini-parliament.
For now, flags on government buildings will be flown at half-mast, and formal memorial services and mourning areas are being planned.
Events like this week’s light show on the harbour and a cycling marathon on the weekend have also been cancelled.
Updated
‘There should have been an alarm’
I’ve been reporting from the Wang Fuk Court towers today, speaking to devastated residents. Many are still reeling from the disaster, and angry at the failure of warning systems.
Connie Chu had just returned home from grocery shopping to the apartment she had lived in for 42 years when she saw a mass of fire trucks. A neighbour told her to leave, even though none of them had heard a fire alarm.
“There should have been [an alarm],” she said. “When I came out I saw one building on fire, it was a horrible, huge fire. We were so worried.”
Chu and her neighbours were lucky – their building was the only one of the complex’s eight not to burn.
“I have a friend who lives in one of the other buildings and she’s in hospital. It seems quite serious.
On Thursday, the air was still filled with acrid smoke. A brief panic broke out when a flickering light in the window of a different block was mistaken for another fire.
Onlookers exchanged nervous looks when the breeze picked up: Wednesday’s fire was fanned by a stiff winter northerly, said James Tang, who lives in one of the towers.
Tang was not home when the building caught fire. He received a call from his brother-in-law who saw it from across the river. He rushed home but was stopped from entering.
“I watched from the outside as the building burned,” he said, speaking outside a local primary school which is one of the shelters for evacuated residents.
Tang’s friends in the complex are not among the missing, he said.
“But a lot of people died, especially the fireman. We are very sorry about this. The fireman tried to save us from the fire, tried to stop the fire and then he lost his life.”
Grieving families search photos for victims
Relatives looking for loved ones have been visiting a nearby community centre where the dead are being identified.
Police there have put up photos of the bodies pulled from the fire. Personal items have also been retrieved in many cases to help with identification.
People have left that building in tears, in significant distress.
“I cannot describe my feelings,” one woman told AFP. “There were children... I cannot describe it.”
Updated
Forced to bang on doors to alert neighbours
More and more residents are coming out saying they didn’t hear any fire alarms when the blazes broke out at Wang Fuk Court on Wednesday afternoon.
One man said he had to go door-to-door to raise the alarm and get his neighbours out.
“The fire spread so quickly. I saw one hose trying to save several buildings, and I felt it was far too slow,” one man surnamed Suen told AFP news agency.
Ringing doorbells, knocking on doors, alerting the neighbours, telling them to leave – that’s what the situation was like.
Such reports are being shared widely on Chinese and Hong Kong social media.
Updated
Man rescued from 16th floor stairwell
One more survivor has been found, fire services have also reported in the last hour. So far 56 people have been rescued, officials say.
The man was rescued from a stairway on the 16th floor of Wang Tao Tower, the South China Morning Post reported.
Rescuers are “battling high temperatures and carefully going up floor by floor, thoroughly searching and aiming to rescue people as quickly as possible,” said Wong Ka Wing, deputy director of the fire services.
“(We) don’t rule out rescuing more injured people.”
Updated
Death toll rises to 65
Officials confirm that 65 people have been killed in the fires.
At least 70 people are injured.
There were 279 people still missing, the city’s chief executive John Lee said earlier. It’s unclear how many remain trapped in the buildings.
Updated
Watch the fire’s spread across the towers on Wednesday night.
They had largely burnt out by Thursday evening.
Updated
Summary of Lee's press conference
Here’s what we learnt from the official evening update from Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee and other city leaders.
The death toll stands at 55 people as of 6pm Thursday local time, including 51 found dead at the scene.
At least 279 people are still missing a full 24 hours since the fires broke out on Wednesday. Desperate relatives are waiting outside the towers hoping for any news of loved ones
The fires have been brought under control across the seven of eight towers which caught alight
Firefighters are now racing to reach those who had been trapped on the upper floors of the 31-storey buildings
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have launched criminal investigations into the disaster – three construction company executives have been arrested on manslaughter charges accused of gross negligence
It’s still unknown how the fire started but authorities appear to be apportioning blame for its rapid spread to styrofoam cladding, green netting and bamboo scaffolding that had adorned the buildings this past year. The towers had been undergoing renovations since July 2024
Bamboo scaffolding – a fixture across Hong Kong building sites and a tradition in the local industry- is now under scrutiny due to their fire risk
Lee said the city was discussing the immediate replacement of bamboo scaffolding across more than 100 sites in the city
Hong Kong’s government will give HK$10,000 to each affected household tonight, set up a HK$300m fund for residents and also have set up a public appeal for donations
Aid has been sought from Beijing and Shenzhen, the closest mainland city to Hong Kong.
Updated
Beijing asked to send resources
Lee said a formal request has been sent to Chinese authorities asking for resources like drones for building inspections and lab test materials.
He also later implied that equipment might be brought in from Shenzhen, the mainland city closest to Hong Kong and just kilometres away from Tai Po.
Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous territory of China – so while it has its own government and legislature – it is also under Beijing’s rule, and increasingly so.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been on the front foot addressing the tragedy as a national disaster. On Wednesday night, as flames were still ripping through the block’s towers, he called for an “all-out effort” to extinguish the blazes and save lives.
Updated
The press conference from Hong Kong city officials has just finished. I’ll take you through the other key lines shortly, including what help has been sought from the Chinese mainland.
That was the evening update from authorities so it’s unclear if we’ll get any further news on the number of dead and missing for the next few hours.
55 people have died in the fires
At least 300 people are still unaccounted for
The eight towers – seven of which caught fire – were home to more than 4,600 people, many of whom have been moved to emergency shelters in nearby school gyms and community halls. Many say their family members are still trapped in the towers.
Updated
All bamboo scaffolding across the city to be inspected and potentially replaced
Chief Secretary Eric Chan, who spoke after John Lee at the press conference, also addressed the bamboo safety issue.
He says the city will make the switch from bamboo to steel scaffolding after this tragedy – but didn’t provide detail on how exactly this would take place.
Regulators are also going to require all building sites to submit a report of their scaffolding nets in the coming week. Chan estimated more than 100 sites would be involved.
Some checks have already been carried out on other public housing blocks as well as some private properties, he said.
Updated
Lee addresses bamboo scaffolding
Lee also acknowledged the bamboo scaffolding that had adorned the towers’ exterior, which may have fuelled the flames.
Bamboo poles and scaffolds are a common- some say iconic- sight across Hong Kong where the material has been a staple for decades in construction activity.
But city officials are now being forced to address the safety issues around the material.
Lee just now in his address said the city’s development bureau had discussed replacing the bamboo scaffolding with metal or steel structures.
Another official who spoke after him also said that the city’s building department had received complaints from Wang Fuk Court residents in September about the bamboo scaffolding and netting outside their buildings.
The housing blocks had been sheathed in the green netting and bamboo frames since July 2024, due to a long-term renovation project. Styrofoam blocks used in the cladding around the building has been the main feature identified as having accelerated the fire’s spread.
Updated
HK$300 million fund to be set up with $10,000 payments for each household
Lee says the government is also setting up a HK$300 million (£29 million) to help residents.
There will be an immediate HK$10,000 payment made to each affected household tonight.
He also shared the number of a bank account established to facilitate donations from the public.
Updated
Residents to be moved into temporary accommodation
Lee has just run through a suite of support and aid for those who lived in the towers:
The government has booked more than 1,000 hotel and hostel rooms for affected residents to temporarily move into
After this first week, there are 1,000 flats set up as temporary emergency accommodation
A social worker has been assigned to each household
Hundreds of doctors from the private sector have been seconded to help victims and those at the towers
Updated
Hong Kong's leader addressing the public
John Lee, the territory’s Chief Executive, is giving an update right now to the city’s residents.
As of 6pm, the death toll remained at 55 people. He said firefighters had rescued another 55 people. The blazes across all seven towers have now been brought under control he said.
But the search continues for those missing – thought to be hundreds.
Updated
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said that two Indonesian domestic workers died in the Hong Kong fire, and that two others were injured.
Yul Edison, the consul general in Hong Kong, told the BBC that his team was looking for Indonesians in the temporary rescue shelters that have been erected in response to the deadly blaze in Tai Po.
There are more than 367,000 foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong, most of whom come from the Philippines and Indonesia. Workers are often obliged to live with their employers.
Police officers have searched the building maintenance company responsible for the housing estate, seizing documents that mentioned it, media said.
The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” said police superintendent Eileen Chung.
Video images from the scene showed flames leaping from at least two of the 32-storey towers sheathed in green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding.
Authorities said they had doused the flames in four of seven affected blocks, with those in the rest brought under control.
Smoke and flames rise as a major fire engulfs several residential buildings at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong.
Updated
The tightly packed complex in the northern Tai Po district has 2,000 apartments in eight blocks that are home to more than 4,600 people in a city struggling with chronic shortages of affordable housing.
“We bought in this building more than 20 years ago. All of our belongings were in this building, and now that it has all burned like this, what’s left?” a 51-year-old resident, with the surname Wan, told Reuters.
“There’s nothing left. What are we supposed to do?”
A woman surnamed Ng, 52, was distraught as she searched for her daughter outside a shelter.
“She and her father are still not out yet. They didn’t have water to save our building,” she sobbed, carrying her daughter’s graduation photo.
Video from the scene showed flames leaping from at least two of the 32-storey towers sheathed in green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding.
Hong Kong authorities say death toll has now risen to 55
Hong Kong authorities have said the death toll has now risen to 55, with a further 72 injured, in the apartment complex fire.
Almost a full day after the fire began, firefighters were struggling to reach residents potentially trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex due to intense heat and thick smoke from the fire that erupted on Wednesday afternoon.
Updated
Summary
It’s 3pm in Hong Kong and in case you’re just joining us here’s a recap of the latest news on the devastating blaze at a residential block that has killed at least 44 people and left almost 300 missing.
Firefighters were continuing to battle to reach residents who may be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday due to the intense heat and thick smoke from the fire.
The death toll had reached 44, with 45 people in hospital in critical condition, authorities said on Thursday, making it the deadliest Hong Kong fire in decades. Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said some 279 people were uncontactable and 900 were in eight shelters.
Police alleged that unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of the fire that erupted on Wednesday at a group of residential tower blocks in the city’s Tai Po district.
The blaze looked to have largely burned out by Thursday afternoon. Authorities said earlier they had brought it under control in four blocks and operations were continuing in three.
A taskforce has been set up to investigate the cause of the blaze. Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent, alleged on Thursday: “We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties.”
Three men from the construction company – two directors and one engineering consultant – had been arrested, Chung said, without giving further details.
The fire is thought to have spread on bamboo scaffolding around the building and was likely aided by windy conditions. Police alleged the buildings were covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that may not meet fire standards, and discovered some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material. The housing site – made up of eight 31-storey towers containing about 2,000 flats – was undergoing renovation work at the time of the fire.
China’s leader Xi Jinping urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and to minimise casualties and losses, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said, as residents voiced anger online at the blaze’s possible causes.
Several forums and campaign events related to 7 December elections that had been scheduled for the coming days have been cancelled.
Updated
Shares in China Taiping Insurance Holdings dropped as much as 8% on Thursday on concerns about its potential liability exposure to the fire-hit apartment complex.
According to publicly available minutes of meetings of registered owners of Wang Fuk Court, members approved the continuation of insurance coverage for the housing complex with China Taiping Insurance (Hong Kong) Ltd in December last year, Reuters is reporting.
The policy period runs from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026, the records show.
China Taiping Insurance Holdings and its unit China Taiping Insurance (Hong Kong) did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Hong Kong to inspect all under-repair housing estates – leader
Hong Kong authorities will immediately inspect all housing estates undergoing major works after the deadly fire that ripped through the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, says the city’s leader.
John Lee said in a Facebook post quoted by AFP on Thursday:
The government has immediately arranged for inspections of all housing estates across the city undergoing major repairs, to examine the safety of scaffolding and building materials.
Firefighters have been continuing to battle to reach residents who may be trapped on the upper floors of the Hong Kong housing complex due to the intense heat and thick smoke generated by the fire.
As our new full report on the disaster details, authorities say the death toll remains at 44, with 45 people in hospital in critical condition, making it the deadliest Hong Kong fire in decades.
By Thursday afternoon the fire appeared to have largely burned out. Earlier, authorities said they had brought the fire in four blocks under control and operations were continuing in three blocks.
The blaze has prompted comparisons to the Grenfell Tower inferno that killed 72 people in London in 2017. That fire was blamed on firms fitting the exterior with flammable cladding, as well as failings by the government and the construction industry.
The Grenfell United survivors’ group posted on X on Thursday:
Our hearts go out to all those affected by the horrific fire in Hong Kong. To the families, friends and communities, we stand with you. You are not alone.
You can see our full report from Helen Davidson and agencies here:
Updated
Hong Kong’s leader has said the city will inspect housing estates that are under repair in the aftermath of the fire, AFP is reporting.
We’ll bring you more on this soon.
Updated
Major donations to help with relief efforts after the Hong Kong fire are continuing to come in.
The latest include the Jack Ma Foundation pledging $HK30m ($3.9m) for aid to people affected and Chinese sportswear company 361 Degrees announcing $HK15m ($1.9m) in cash and supplies for the recovery.
TikTok owner ByteDance says it is donating $HK10m and Fuguiniao Group has pledged $HK15m in cash and equipment, Reuters is reporting.
As firefighters battled to find survivors in the flaming apartment complex overnight, another band of volunteers swung into action – to rescue the estate’s pets.
Reuters reports that dozens of workers from Hong Kong’s animal welfare agencies turned out with oxygenated pet carriers and animal ambulances to search for pets as media posts depicted elderly people weeping for animals they left behind in the rush to save human lives.
Some animal welfare workers carrying cages negotiated with police to allow them through cordons keeping out the public as fire raged in the complex on Thursday.
“Pet owners contacted our alliance and we compiled a list of more than 100 cases,” said Anson Cheng of the animal welfare group Hong Kong Guardians.
We shared the cases with firefighters so that they can help check the flats and pick up the pets if they see them.
Cheng said that as of Thursday morning, at least 10 cats, seven dogs and several turtles had been rescued.
Hong Kong’s system of micro-chipping dogs and cats meant it was possible that some survivors could be reunited with pets that escaped the blaze, he said.
More comments are emerging from people affected by the blaze as authorities continues operations in three of the four apartment blocks.
A woman surnamed Ng, 52, was distraught as she looked for her daughter outside a shelter.
“She and her father are still not out yet. They didn’t have water to save our building,” she said, sobbing and carrying her daughter’s graduation photo.
A long-time resident surnamed Chu said she still had not been able to contact her friends who lived in the next block. After staying at a friend’s place on Wednesday night, the 70-year-old woman came back to see her home still burning.
“We don’t know what to do,” she said.
Reuters also reports that an online app showed missing persons reports submitted through a linked Google document that detailed residents of individual towers and rooms.
It includes descriptions such as “Mother-in-law in her 70s, missing” or “one boy and one girl” or “Rooftop: 33-year-old male”. One description simply says “27th floor, room 1: He is dead”.
The news agency could not independently verify the information on the app.
Updated
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, has sent his condolences to Hong Kong over the fire.
“At this moment, let us pray for Hong Kong,” he posted on X Thursday.
I extend my deepest condolences to all my friends in Hong Kong who lost their lives in this disaster and to their families, and offer my sincere sympathies to the injured. I also hope that the missing will be found safely soon.
China’s sportswear company ANTA Group says it has donated HK$30m ($3.9m) in cash and equipment to support relief efforts around the Hong Kong blaze.
Chinese technology company Tencent says it has given HK$10m for emergency relief and resettlement of the fire’s victims.
Another Chinese tech company, Xiaomi, says it is donating HK$10m to the relief effort.
Reuters also reports China’s Red Cross as saying it is giving 2m yuan ($282,500) in support.
Visual guide to the HK blaze
We’ve just launched a visual guide – including graphics, maps, pictures and video footage – to show how the Hong Kong fire disaster unfolded.
As it describes, firefighters working through Wednesday night struggled to reach the top floors of the 31-storey towers where many people were thought to be trapped.
Falling debris and the extreme heat of the blaze made it difficult for rescuers to access the building and officials said that since the complex was undergoing maintenance, many residents kept their windows shut and did not hear the fire alarm.
The fire was able to spread quickly across bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the buildings.
By this morning the blaze had noticeably lowered in intensity but a number of apartments were still burning.
You can see the full visual explainer here:
Updated
HK police allege possible negligence over fire
Police have said the huge fire at the Hong Kong apartment complex may have been spread by unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work.
They said on Thursday that in addition to the buildings being covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that might not meet fire standards, they discovered some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material, Reuters reports.
The highly flammable material had been installed by a construction company carrying out maintenance work, they said.
Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent, said:
We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties.
Three men from the construction company – two directors and one engineering consultant – had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire, Chung said.
By Thursday morning, authorities said they had brought the fire in four blocks under control while operations were continuing in three blocks.
The green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding used on the buildings are a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but have been subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.
Updated
We’ve just launched a video report that includes how a police taskforce has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire at the Hong Kong apartment complex.
Authorities say three men aged 52 to 68 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to the blaze.
The report also has residents describing the fire, including one man who said his wife was missing. He said she tried to escape.
But once she left the flat the corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark so she had no choice but to go back to the flat.
See the video here:
Updated
Here are some fresh shots that have arrived from the fire scene in Hong Kong.
Circling back to the start of the fire, officials said it began on the external scaffolding of one of the buildings mid-afternoon on Wednesday and later spread inside it and then to nearby buildings, probably assisted by windy conditions.
Fire chiefs said the high temperatures at the scene made it difficult for crews to mount rescue operations. A column of flames and thick smoke rose as the blaze spread quickly on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the buildings.
Firefighters aimed water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.
The blaze was upgraded to a level 5 alarm – the highest level of severity – as night fell. Firefighters deployed more than 200 fire vehicles and about 100 ambulances, the Associated Press also reported
“Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings [is] falling down,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations.
The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.
By early Thursday the blaze had been brought under control but firefighters are continuing to extinguish it entirely.
Updated
Noting now that while Hong Kong leader John Lee said early on Thursday that 279 people were unaccounted for, firefighters said later that they had established contact with some of them.
Lee said more than 900 people had sought refuge at temporary shelters.
A police officer at one of the shelters told AFP it was unclear how many people were unaccounted for because residents were still trickling in late into the night to report missing family members.
Among the 44 confirmed dead was a 37-year-old firefighter who was found with burns on his face half an hour after losing contact with colleagues, said fire service director Andy Yeung.
Residents describe 'terrifying' blaze spreading between buildings
More word here from residents of the Hong Kong neighbourhood where the fire broke out.
“I truly think it’s very scary. I am watching it spread from just one building to three, then four,” Veezy Chan, 25, said on Wednesday. “It’s really terrifying.”
Shirley Chan called the tragedy terribly sad. “Imagine a home – gone, burnt. Anyone would be heartbroken. I can relate to that; it’s truly heartbreaking.
A home, gone in flames. I can’t even put it into words.
Agence France-Presse also quoted a 65-year-old surnamed Yuen as saying his neighbourhood was home to many elderly residents who used wheelchairs and walkers, and the fire left him and his wife homeless.
He said that since the apartment complex was undergoing maintenance, many residents kept their windows shut, so they did not hear the fire alarm.
Residents also said they had never anticipated the flames would spread to other buildings with the wind and burn all night long.
Chan said she “watched the fire burn and couldn’t do anything”.
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Here are two of the latest images coming in as Hong Kong firefighters continue work to fully extinguish the devastating blaze.
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It’s approaching 8.45am in Hong Kong and firefighters are still dousing the blaze that has torn through the high-rise complex.
After daybreak on Thursday some flats were still burning but the fire had noticeably dimmed during the early hours of the morning, Agence France-Presse is reporting.
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Hong Kong blaze: what we know so far
Almost 280 people are still missing amid the Hong Kong blaze that has killed at least 44 people and left dozens more in critical condition.
Our just-launched rundown on what we know so far about the fire also details how it has not yet been fully extinguished but the flames in the four buildings are under control.
The Wang Fuk Court complex is made up of eight 32-storey towers, containing about 2,000 flats, and were being renovated at the time.
Three men aged between 52 and 68 were, as reported, arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of manslaughter.
Firefighters and rescue crews started searching the lower levels of some of the buildings on Thursday. Twenty-six rescue teams are on site.
More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues.
See the full rundown here:
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The cause of the Hong Kong blaze is not yet known but the fire has been fanned by green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding – a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.
Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.
On mainland China, where use of bamboo in construction originated from ancient times, scaffolding is now mainly metal, Reuters reports.
Hong Kong’s government moved to start phasing out bamboo scaffolding in March, citing worker safety after 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024.
It announced that 50% of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.
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‘It’s heartbreaking’
Word from residents of the housing complex has been coming through, including a 71-year-old resident surnamed Wong who said through tears that his wife was trapped inside.
Harry Cheung, who has lived at block 2 in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise about 2.45pm and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.
“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” the 66-year-old told Reuters.
I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home.
Dozens of stunned residents, many sobbing, have been watching the blaze as smoke billowed from the housing complex.
“There’s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely,” a Tai Po resident who gave their surname as So told Agence France-Presse near the scene.
It’s heartbreaking. We’re worried there are people trapped inside.
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China’s leader Xi Jinping has urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the Hong Kong fire and to minimise casualties and losses, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has reported.
He also extended condolences to victims’ families and others affected.
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Section of the Tai Po Road closed
An entire section of the Tai Po Road – one of Hong Kong’s two main highways – has been closed due to the fire, and buses are being diverted.
At least six schools will be closed on Thursday because of the fire and traffic congestion, Reuters quoted the city’s education bureau as saying.
Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated areas. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with about 300,000 residents.
This is Adam Fulton picking up our live coverage. Stay with us for the latest updates.
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Here’s the latest on the fire
Forty-four people are confirmed dead after Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades, with dozens more currently in hospital. At least 279 people are still missing as firefighters and rescue crews begin searching some of the buildings.
The fires have not been fully extinguished, although the flames in four buildings are under control.
Three people were arrested early this morning local time on suspicion of manslaughter. Police did not provide any details about what the trio were accused of doing, although a police spokesperson told the New York Times they are two directors of a construction company and one consultant.
Officials said they will look at materials used in the buildings exterior they say may have contributed to the blaze, as well as the bamboo scaffolding surrounding the towers, which were undergoing renovations.
More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues.
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Evacuees from the Wang Fuk Court residential estate rest in nearby shelters.
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Fire under control at four buildings in Wang Fuk Court complex
The flames at four of the residential buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex are now under control. The South China Morning Post reports search efforts have started in those buildings on lower levels, with rescue teams slowly moving up through the 13th to 23rd floors of some of those towers.
They are expected to reach the top floors in the coming hours, with 26 rescue teams on site.
The South China Morning Post also reports that police said they have not ruled out foam materials used to seal windows on the buildings and for other purposes contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.
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Police confirm three people arrested on suspicion of manslaughter
Hong Kong police confirmed three people between the ages of 52 and 68 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
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Death toll rises to 44
The death toll has risen again to 44, fire officials say.
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Officials said they are still having difficulties proceeding into the upper floors in some of the buildings in the residential complex as the fire continues.
Those killed or injured in the fires have mostly suffered from burns and smoke inhalation, rescue workers said.
Death toll rises to 40
At least 40 people have died during the blaze, officials announced at an early morning press conference.
Forty-five others are in critical condition.
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Police have arrested three people after the deadly blaze on suspicion of manslaughter, according to local news reports. We’re expected to hear more on those arrests shortly.
Hong Kong fire officials are about to hold a press conference with the latest details from the blaze. We’ll bring you live updates from that event.
Firefighters have received calls from trapped residents, but are battling difficult conditions
Firefighters have struggled to reach the upper floors of the high-rise buildings, even after hours battling the blaze.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s leader, said earlier:
The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped. The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation.
Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of Fire Service operations, said it had received “numerous” calls for assistance and that some residents remained trapped as of Wednesday night. He said, per the Associated Press:
Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings [is] falling down. The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.
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Where is Tai Po?
Tai Po, one of Hong Kong’s 18 districts, sits in the north of the region in the New Territories. The district is home to about 300,000 people.
The Wang Fuk Court towers are among the tallest in the district. Reuters reports the buildings have been occupied since 1983 and remain part of the government’s subsidised home ownership scheme. The complex has been undergoing renovations over the past year.
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Here’s what we know
At least 36 people are dead after a huge fire engulfed several residential high rises at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po. The complex is made up of eight 32-storey towers, contenting about 2,000 flats. Around 4,800 people live there.
Another 279 people are missing, John Lee, the city’s leader, said earlier today. Dozens of others were hospitalised.
More than 128 fire engines and nearly 800 firefighters were dispatched the scene, where they have spent hours trying to get the blazes under control. At least one firefighter was among the dead.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known after it reportedly started just before 3pm local time, quickly spreading through the buildings, which were covered in bamboo scaffolding.
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Welcome to our live blog after a devastating fire broke out at a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong. We’ll bring you the latest updates – including from a press conference with Hong Kong police – soon.
Stick with us.
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