Hong Kong fire kills multiple, hundreds still missing, but blaze 'under control'

[KingKhanWC]

At least 94 killed in Hong Kong fire as authorities continue to search for hundreds missing

At least 94 people have been killed after a major fire broke out in a Hong Kong high-rise building on Wednesday, which quickly spread to other nearby towers. Firefighters are still working on rescuing dozens who remain unaccounted for as of Friday.

Hong Kong’s worst fire in memory was still smouldering in several apartment towers late on Thursday and into Friday morning as firefighters struggled to rescue dozens of people who remain unaccounted for.

At least 94 people have died after a massive fire broke out on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Taipo, a suburb in the city's mountainous New Territories.

Dozens more were injured, and about 900 of the 4,800 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight.

Rescuers holding flashlights were going from apartment to apartment at the charred towers as thick smoke poured out from some windows at the Wang Fuk Court complex, a dense cluster of buildings housing thousands of people in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong’s border with the mainland.

Officials said firefighters were still working on a handful of apartments and trying to enter all of the units in the seven towers to ensure there were no further casualties.

“Our firefighting operation is almost complete,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Services Operations. Firefighters were working hard “to prevent the debris and embers from flaring up. What’s next is the search and rescue operation,” he added.

It was unclear how many people remained missing or trapped. Hong Kong leader John Lee said contact had been lost with 279 people early on Thursday. Authorities have not provided updates on the missing or trapped people since.

Seven of the eight 32-story towers in the building complex were engulfed in flames after construction materials and bamboo scaffolding caught fire. Officials said that extreme heat was hampering rescue efforts.

Officials are investigating why construction materials, netting and bamboo scaffolding being used in renovations to the outsides of the high-rise buildings caught fire.

Three people were arrested by authorities in the meantime in connection with the incident; the directors of the project and an engineering consultant of a construction company, and are being investigated for manslaughter.

Police did not name the company, but they searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., which The Associated Press confirmed was in charge of the renovations.

Officials said they suspect that some materials, such as plastic foam panels being used to protect windows from damage, did not meet fire resistance standards. High winds also aided in the unusually quick spread of the flames.

About a third of Hong Kong residents live in the government's Housing Authority dwellings. Wang Fuk Court is a complex of privately-owned but subsidised housing.

It was built in the 1980s, the basic apartments measure 40-45 square metres, according to online real estate listings.

Like most Hong Kong mass market housing, they appear to not be equipped with smoke detectors, sprinkler systems or other fire safety systems. The buildings were constructed before revisions to Hong Kong's fire codes required mandatory fire refuge floors.

At least 94 killed in Hong Kong fire with hundreds still missing

At least 94 people have been killed after a major fire broke out in a Hong Kong high-rise building on Wednesday, which quickly spread to other nearby towers. Firefighters are still working on rescuing dozens who remain unaccounted for as of Friday.

www.euronews.com

--------------------------------

7 buildings on fire. This is tragic and scary.

Thoughts with China and Hong Kong.

 

[sweep_shot]

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.

Tragic.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Fury and questions after Hong's Kong deadliest blaze in decades

Shock is giving way to anger in Hong Kong after a massive fire ripped through a densely populated subsidised housing estate on Wednesday, killing at least 94 people and critically injuring dozens.

Authorities say substandard mesh and plastic sheets on the buildings' windows may have spread the blaze, which raged for more than a day in some blocks. Nearly 300 people are still unaccounted for.

Questions are mounting as to how the fire at Wang Fuk Court spread so rapidly and who to hold responsible, with many Hong Kongers calling it a "man-made disaster".

Three people in charge of renovation works in the complex are under arrest for manslaughter, and authorities have launched a corruption inquiry.

A post that has gone viral on social media in the wake of the blaze reads: "It's not an accident".

Several residents have revealed in interviews that the fire alarm did not sound when the fire broke out.

Kiko Ma, who owns an apartment at Wang Fuk Court, says the alarms had been turned off amid renovation works, as construction workers regularly used fire escapes to get in and out of the building.

Ms Ma lives in Canada with her family, but visits the Hong Kong apartment several times a year.

"This was preventable... A lot of people did not do their duties," the 33-year-old tells the BBC, claiming that the renovation firm used "poor quality, flammable materials".

Residents often saw construction workers smoking and found cigarette butts along their window ledges, she adds.

"People kept asking what would happen if there was a fire. Everyone was very worried about this."

This is Hong Kong's deadliest fire in at least 63 years - already having surpassed the toll of the August 1962 inferno in the Sham Shui Po neighbourhood, which killed 44 people and displaced hundreds.

Built in the 1980s, Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong's north-eastern Tai Po district comprises eight 31-storey buildings, seven of which went up in flames. The apartments here are sold at subsidised prices, but day-to-day affairs in the estate are managed by privately appointed firms.

According to the 2021 census, the complex was home to about 4,600 people - nearly 40% of whom were 65 or older.

The city's fire department on Thursday said firefighters faced major challenges trying to rescue residents, including high temperatures, the risk of further scaffolding collapse, and the small and crowded interiors of the apartments.

Hong Kong is well-known for its tiny, densely packed inner-city dwellings, where many public rental housing tenants have, on average, a living space of just 14.1 square metres.

It is unclear how many people were in Wang Fuk Court when the fire broke out, but hundreds of residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters, and some are being allocated emergency housing units.

While police are investigating whether mesh netting, plastic and canvas sheets used during renovations met fire safety standards, some experts believe the bamboo scaffolding connecting the apartment blocks helped fuel the inferno.

Such scaffolding is an iconic sight across Hong Kong, and widely used in construction.

Earlier this year, authorities announced plans to phase out bamboo in favour of sturdier, fire-resistant steel, citing bamboo's combustibility and deterioration over time.

Residents at Wang Fuk Court had expressed unease about renovation plans when they were announced last year. Reports of those concerns have now resurfaced online, sparking accusations around a lack of transparency.

Another homeowner who was abroad when the fire broke out said the plans were "fundamentally shady".

"[Those in charge] used small favours to encourage unsuspecting elderly residents to support their plans," they wrote in a comment on Instagram.

Mr Lai, a sales associate who the BBC agreed to refer to by his last name only, says Wang Fuk Court residents had earlier questioned the high cost of renovation works.

Calls from some residents to re-elect the estate's management committee went unheeded, he added. This week's fire is not an isolated incident, Mr Lai said, claiming that construction companies "often prioritise cost efficiency" over safety.

He noted that a building in Hong Kong's Central district went up in flames last month after its bamboo scaffolding caught fire.

"When similar incidents happen, they raise the question of whether [there are] systemic weaknesses."

Hong Kong authorities on Thursday ordered inspections of all housing estates undergoing "major repairs" to check for the "safety of scaffolding and building materials".

BBC

 

[sweep_shot]

Need to take safety seriously. Can't take shortcuts.

 

[hassan918]

Eight more arrested over fire in Hong Kong that killed at least 128 people​

At least 128 people are now known to have died in a devastating fire that engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong.

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption over the renovation works the blocks had been undergoing before the fire. Three others were detained earlier on manslaughter charges.

The cause of the fire remains unclear, though officials said that polystyrene and protective netting placed on the outside of the windows facilitated its spread.

A further 79 people were injured in the blaze - the city's deadliest in more than 70 years. Dozens remain missing.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said that those arrested in the corruption probe on Friday included directors at an engineering company and scaffolding subcontractors.

Some 2,311 firefighters worked to bring the fire under control after it spread across seven of Wang Fuk Court's eight apartment blocks.

Firefighting efforts have now ceased. The fire was fully extinguished by 10:18 local time (02:18 GMT) on Friday, the fire department said at a news conference.

It also said 89 bodies have yet to be identified, and 16 bodies remain inside the buildings.

Meanwhile, crowds have been gathering at a nearby community hall that has been opened to families looking for missing loved ones. Relatives are being asked to help with the identification process by bringing in family photos.

The Hong Kong government has also set up shelters and support centres for displaced residents. Groups of volunteers have been packing and organising supplies for those affected, including clothing and hygiene products.

The blaze started at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) on Wednesday, and by 18:22 local time it had been upgraded to the most serious category by fire officials.

The fire department said the fire started at a lower level before moving upwards, and reached a peak temperature of 500C (932F).

As a result, the blaze reignited in some places after being doused, they said.

One former resident, who moved out earlier this year and only gave his surname, told the BBC: "There was nothing we could do. Together we watched our homes burn gradually."

The fire spread quickly across the separate blocks due to the presence of flammable netting and other materials on the outside of the buildings.

Firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, has been identified as among those killed. He was found collapsed at the scene on Wednesday, about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost.

Twelve other firefighters have also been injured, authorities said.

Two Indonesian nationals who had been working on the buildings were also killed in the fire, a migrant charity said. Indonesian and Filipino workers are among those still unaccounted for.

Indonesian worker Fita had been inside the building with her employer when she heard the fire brigade siren. She described it as scary and confusing, but added that she felt "so grateful" to be safe.

"But I'm concerned about friends I know... Usually we talk, and then I haven't met them [since the fire]," she told news agency Reuters.

Many of those in the shelters have been unwilling to speak to the media while reeling from the trauma.

Shock has quickly shifted to anger in Hong Kong, as questions grow on who should be held accountable for the blaze.

Several residents have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that fire alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

Meanwhile, one resident told the BBC that some of the alarms had been turned off by construction workers.

Reports of residents' prior complaints over high renovation fees and whether the materials used complied with fire-safety regulations have also resurfaced and are circulating widely online.

"We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties," a police spokesperson said.

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

Hong Kong's deadliest fire on record killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse.

Source: BBC

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Need to take safety seriously. Can't take shortcuts.

You can if you want to maximise profits.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Three days of mourning begin after Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades

Hong Kong officials have held a moment of silence at the start of a three-day mourning period to remember those killed after the city's deadliest fire in nearly 80 years.

At least 128 people are now known to have died in the fire which engulfed several tower blocks on Wednesday. Hundreds remain unaccounted for.

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption over the renovation works the blocks had been undergoing.

Three others were detained earlier on manslaughter charges.

The Saturday morning ceremony was held outside government headquarters, and saw city leader John Lee joined by other Hong Kong officials to observe three minutes of silence.

The flags of China and Hong Kong were flown at half mast.

The government has also set up memorial points across the city, where the public can pay their respects and sign condolence books.

Once it started, the fire quickly spread to seven of the eight blocks of flats of Wang Fuk Court, with over 2,000 firefighters working to bring it under control across almost two days.

The cause of the fire has still not been determined, though authorities have said that polystyrene and protective netting placed on the outside of the windows facilitated its spread.

The tower blocks were also covered in bamboo scaffolding, which is commonly used in Hong Kong.

Officials have confirmed that an investigation will be taking place over the next few weeks, with police already gathering evidence from the scene.

Anger has spread throughout Hong Kong in the aftermath of the fire, with residents reporting broken fire alarms and negligence from the company carrying out the renovations on the Wang Fuk Court.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) said that those arrested in the corruption probe on Friday included directors at an engineering company and scaffolding subcontractors.

Hong Kong's Labour and Welfare Secretary, Chris Sun, told reporters that his department had made 16 checks on the works taking place at Wang Fuk Court since July last year.

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

BBC

 

[Bhaijaan]

Should be an example for the high rise housing boom in developing nations. Hong Kong is a $50k per capita income nation. One of the highest in the world and yet this happened there.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay respects​

At least 146 people are now known to have died in the devastating fire that tore through high-rise buildings in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Police announced the new death toll on Sunday, cautioning that they "cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities". There still 150 people missing, and the blaze left 79 injured.

Seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northerly Tai Po district rapidly went up in flames. Accusations that the fire was spread by flammable construction materials have sparked widespread anger.

Three days of national mourning started on Saturday, and thousands have gathered at the scene to mourn the victims.

There have been queues stretching a long as 2km (1.2 miles), as people wait to lay flowers and handwritten notes.

Indonesian worker Romlah Rosidah said she was "very surprised" at how many people had turned up to pray for the victims.

"This event was only spread on social media, but [it] turned out their hearts moved," she told news agency Reuters.

A Filipino worker said they had joined the prayers to "show the Hong Kong community that we are one in this situation".

Officials observed three minutes' silence to begin the mourning period, and the flags of China and Hong Kong are flying at half-staff.

The fire is Hong Kong's deadliest in more than 70 years, and the death toll has been rising each day, as officials work to recover and identify bodies.

The exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption over the renovations that had been taking place on the towers, while three others were detained on manslaughter charges.

The fire - which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks - was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Police official Tsang Shuk-yin said on Sunday that officers had so far completed searches of four of the tower blocks.

Indonesia's consulate in Hong Kong said at least seven of its nationals had died from the fire, while the Philippines' consulate said one of its citizens had died.

Firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, has been identified as among those killed. He was found collapsed at the scene on Wednesday, about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost.

Hong Kong fire: Death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay their respects

Authorities say they have completed searches of four of the seven towers as part of a criminal investigation.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Hong Kong leader orders investigation into deadly fire that killed 151

Hong Kong's leader John Lee has ordered the creation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 people.

Last Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex - which had been undergoing extensive renovations - went up in flames. Investigators have since found that a protective netting used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

At least 13 people have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the directors of a construction company.

The fire is the deadliest the city has seen in more than 70 years and the death toll could rise further as officials continue to recover bodies.

Chief Executive Lee said that the committee would be led by a judge and would conduct "comprehensive reform", adding that he would work to "prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future".

Asked at a news conference why he should keep his job, Mr Lee acknowledged that reform was needed but failed to directly address the question.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are plucked," he said.

The fire - which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks - was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.

The flames spread quickly across the separate tower blocks on protective mesh netting and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings, officials have said.

Several residents have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the blaze broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on 30 private projects.

Separately, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on Saturday. He was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by police, according to local media reports.

Asked about this on Tuesday, Lee did not address the question directly but said that "criminals that commit offences must be taken to justice".

"I emphasise I will not tolerate any crimes, particularly crimes that exploit the tragedy that we are facing now."

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the causes of the devastating fire...rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 people died.

BBC

 

[Markhor]

Horrifyingly reminsicent of Grenfell. Hope justice is done to those responsible for any negligence.

 

[sweep_shot]

If I have to live in a high-rise building, I prefer to live in the bottom floors (floor #2, floor #3, floor #4 etc.) so that I can escape easily if there is a fire or something similar.

This type of incident can happen in any third world country because safety is often overlooked.

 

[JaDed]

That’s why such buildings shouldn’t be hyped , absolutely terrible in looks and safety.. never understood the fascination with HK even when I was young. RIP

 

[BouncerGuy]

Hong Kong orders removal of scaffolding mesh after deadly blaze

Authorities in Hong Kong have ordered the removal of scaffolding mesh from buildings undergoing renovations by Saturday, as investigations continue into the Chinese territory's deadliest blaze in decades.

It is now known that 159 people died as a result of the fire last Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex - with 31 still missing.

Investigators have found that a protective netting used around the complex, which had been undergoing extensive renovations, failed to meet flame retardant standards.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said new guidelines for testing materials used in scaffolding would be issued next week.

Around 200 private residential and 10 public buildings are currently undergoing renovations in Hong Kong.

The South China Morning Post, which is based in the territory, says about 300 buildings will be affected by the removal order.

"I assure the public that we will chase to the end the accountability of any contractors using substandard scaffolding mesh," Linn was quoted as saying.

Samples had already been taken from mesh for testing, she added.

At Wang Fuk Court, flames spread quickly across the separate tower blocks on protective mesh netting and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings, officials said.

Police have made at least 15 arrests for manslaughter as the investigation into the cause of the fire proceeds.

On Wednesday, they said they had completed their searches of the interiors of all seven of the complex's towers and would now look for bodies in other parts of the buildings such as the remnants of the bamboo scaffolding.

"We have not finished our work," Police Commissioner Joe Chow said.

"As you can see... a lot of bamboo has fallen down. We still need to do some work... to see if any bodies were covered by the bamboo."

He added that 140 of the 159 bodies found to date had been identified and were those of 49 males and 91 females, aged between one and 97, Radio Television Hong Kong reports.

A married couple in their 70s, who lost their home in the blaze, returned to the charred site with their daughter on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reports.

"It all happened within just an hour or two," said the mother, whose name was given only as Leung.

She continued: "I stood there watching as one block after another went up in flames, my legs felt so weak I could hardly stand. When I saw it, I felt completely helpless. I still don't understand how the fire could spread so fiercely, devouring one building after another. It was terrifying.

"The bamboo scaffolding cracked and there was banging that sounded like exploding windows, the flames were completely out of control."

Her daughter, Bonnie, added: "We also hope the truth will come out - whether there were hidden hands behind this, corruption or any improper dealings."

BBC

 

[hassan918]

'My heart breaks every time I'm called a hero' - Hong Kong fire survivor​

William Li has struggled with the label "hero" since helping his neighbours escape the fire which engulfed the Hong Kong block of flats he had called home since birth.

Instead, he is haunted by guilt that he could have saved more people from the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which left at least 159 people dead.

"My heart breaks every time someone calls me a hero," says the 40-year-old, breaking down in tears.

A week on from the disaster, firefighters are still combing the complex of seven burnt-out high rises for the remains of 30 of Mr Li's neighbours - people who, like him, had the misfortune to be at home when the deadly fire began.

What caused the fire to start, and why more people did not escape, is now the subject of an independent committee's investigation, ordered by Hong Kong's chief executive.

Already, it has been revealed that non-fire resistant netting had been fitted around the building, and the fire alarms were not working properly.

The fact alarms did not go off was the reason why Mr Li was not more worried when his wife called to tell him a fire had started in their building, Wang Cheong House.

Instead of rushing, he spent almost 10 minutes packing belongings.

But the moment he opened the door, the extent of the disaster was all too clear: he was engulfed in billowing smoke and had to retreat inside his flat.

On the other end of the phone, his wife became hysterical, but Mr Li didn't have time to panic.

He had to put wet towels under the door to stop the smoke from getting in, and tried to work out what to do next.

It was then he heard voices in the corridor, where the air was now so dense with smoke he was unable to see who was calling out. Covering his face with a wet towel, he found two of his neighbours by touch, dragging the couple inside to the relative safety of his flat.

In a neighbouring block, Bai Shui Lin was also trying to help her neighbours.

The 66-year-old is thought to have saved at least three families, banging on their doors to warn them of the fire.

Mrs Bai did not survive, however. Her sons identified her body at the weekend.

"If I'd asked her to leave a minute earlier, I think she would have survived," Yip Ka-Kui told the BBC's US partner, CBS. "But we know her. She wouldn't have left without warning others."

Back in Mr Li's flat, the middle aged couple revealed they had heard another voice in the corridor: a domestic worker calling for an elderly woman. But now, the voice had gone quiet.

This time, Mr Li was unable to help.

"I feel very guilty," he said. "Some people weren't saved and I didn't open my door again and try to find them."

Source: BBC