HONG KONG — At least 36 people, including a firefighter, have died and hundreds are reported missing after a massive fire swept through a high-rise residential complex late Wednesday, officials said.
The blaze, which broke out in one of eight towers in the estate, quickly spread to seven buildings in the development, which has been undergoing renovations since July 2024. Residents were hurriedly evacuated as flames and smoke engulfed multiple blocks.
Authorities warned that the death toll is expected to rise, with an unknown number of people potentially still trapped inside the charred structures.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but officials say it was intensified by construction materials, including plastic mesh and flammable bamboo scaffolding wrapped around the buildings. Hong Kong remains one of the few places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding on large construction and renovation projects.
By early Thursday morning local time, the fire department reported that the blaze was largely under control, with three of the affected towers showing no visible flames, though cooling and search operations were continuing.
Police told local media that three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the disaster, as investigators begin examining whether safety regulations or construction practices were violated.
Hong Kong’s police and fire services have set up a joint task force to investigate the origin and spread of the fire, including the role played by renovation works and temporary construction structures.
China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed condolences over the death of the firefighter and offered sympathies to the families of all the victims, state media reported.
Rescue teams are now combing through the buildings, while displaced residents are being housed in temporary shelters as authorities race to determine how many people remain unaccounted for.
