At least 13 dead after fire engulfs residential tower blocks in Hong Kong

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

At least 13 people have died after fire engulfed several high-rise towers of a residential complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, with thick grey smoke billowing out as emergency services tackled the blaze.

Police said several people remained trapped inside the burning towers, while two people were in a critical condition with severe burns.

Some fire services staff were injured while trying to put out the flames that ripped through the 31-storey towers. People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway as smoke billowed from the buildings, some of which were clad in bamboo scaffolding.
...
Wang Fuk court is made up of eight blocks, providing about 2,000 residential units.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/26/hong-kong-fire-tai-po-towers

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13 seems likely to increase, for such a large fire.

[bluedigger]

1. Seems odd for four different highrises to catch on fire without human aid.

It's not like they are wooden tenements. I suspect malfeasance.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. The bamboo scaffolding may have spread it

Structurally, it's a good material for scaffolding, but it's a fire risk in a way that metal will never be.

[EX500rider]

12. May have but the buildings look pretty far apart to me:

.webp

[bluedigger]

13. I didn't have that critical piece of info at first.

It turns out sheathing inhabited high rises with flammable materials may be imprudent.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Bamboo scaffolding

It was being phased out; this will be the end of it.

[nitpicked]

3. Link to BBC live thread

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c2emg1kj1klt

[Fla Dem]

5. MY GOD, a tragedy.

Google Wang Fuk court and you can see what a huge complex it was.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. Heartbreaking

Thousands of people have just lost their homes, and they are the lucky not to have lost their lives.

[EuterpeThelo]

7. I was wondering

if it's like what happened in Grenfell in 2017. Watched a very moving documentary about that recently and it ended with a grim statistic about how many other people still live in units that use that same inferior siding.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Could be, though the Grenfell cladding was installed as thermal insulation

which, in a tropical climate like Hong Kong, might not be a priority. Reports should say soon if there are aspects, other than the mentioned bamboo scaffolding, which could have been vulnerable to fire.

[nitpicked]

9. At least 36 dead according to BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c2emg1kj1klt

At least 36 killed in blaze, 279 still missing
published at 12:29
12:29
Breaking
Hong Kong chief executive John Lee has just told a press briefing that 36 people have died in the fire in Tai Po, with at least 279 people not accounted for.

[nitpicked]

10. I'm hoping a lot of people were out of the building at the time

Four people have died, Hong Kong government says
published at 04:50
04:50
Breaking
The fire at Wang Fuk Court broke out at 2:51pm local time, according to a statement from the Hong Kong government.
(snip)

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Yes, I'd hope that "unaccounted for" includes people who were out, went somewhere else for the night

but have not yet contacted the authorities to say "I'm OK". Because that is a high "unaccounted for" number.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. 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.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/nov/27/hong-kong-fire-arrests-dead-killed-hundreds-missing-housing-complex-blaze?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6928488a8f081089431d2e53#block-6928488a8f081089431d2e53

They are still finding people alive in the buildings, though.

[nitpicked]

15. Up to 75 dead (and probably counting)

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c2emg1kj1klt

(snip)

Death toll rises to 75 - reports
published at 09:54
09:54
Breaking
The death toll has risen to 75 people, local media and the AFP news agency cite the Hong Kong fire department as saying.

They also report 76 people have been recorded injured in the blaze so far.
(snip)