How the Hong Kong Fire Unfolded - Visual Guide

A fire in a densely packed group of 31-story towers housing thousands of people rapidly spread via bamboo scaffolding. Dozens of people lost their lives in a massive fire that engulfed several residential towers in Hong Kong, home to thousands, on Wednesday afternoon. Many others are in critical condition and hundreds remain missing, with the fire continuing to burn into Thursday morning. The fire was first reported at 2:52 PM on Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po, in the New Territories. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, but officials say it started on the exterior scaffolding of Wang Cheong House before spreading to seven of the eight buildings in the densely populated complex. As the fire spread, hundreds of residents were evacuated from the complex of nearly 2,000 apartments, which houses about 4,800 residents, including many elderly individuals. About 200 fire trucks and more than 100 ambulances were deployed to the scene, according to local media. Firefighters working throughout the night struggled to reach the upper floors of the 31-story towers where many people were believed to be trapped. A 37-year-old firefighter is known to be among the dead. Falling debris and the extreme heat of the blaze made it difficult for rescuers to access the building, and officials stated that, as the complex was undergoing maintenance, many residents had kept their windows closed and did not hear the fire alarm. From the mainland, Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged Hong Kong authorities to "do everything possible" to extinguish the blaze and "offered his condolences to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster." The fire was able to spread rapidly through bamboo scaffolding and construction nets that had been installed around the buildings. Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is widely used for construction, and the local government has begun considering phasing it out, citing worker safety after 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024. The police stated that, in addition to buildings covered with protective sheets and plastic that apparently did not meet fire standards, the windows of an unaffected building were sealed with foam material, installed by a construction company performing maintenance work. On Thursday morning, several apartments were still on fire, although witnesses reported that the blaze had significantly decreased in intensity. The city's leader, John Lee, stated that more than 900 people had sought refuge in temporary shelters.