Why it matters:
The deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong represents the city’s most catastrophic blaze in over a century, claiming 56 lives and leaving hundreds missing or injured. The scale of the tragedy highlights urgent concerns about building safety, especially in aging high-rise estates where residents, many of them elderly, are particularly vulnerable.
The big picture:
The fire at Wang Fuk Court marks Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in over a century. In 1918, a catastrophic fire at the city’s Happy Valley Racecourse claimed 614 lives. More recently, August 1962 saw a fire in Sham Shui Po district that killed 44 people, and in November 1996, a fire at the Garley Building on Nathan Road in Kowloon left 41 dead and 81 injured.
Key points:
- The fire began on Wednesday afternoon on external bamboo scaffolding surrounding one of the towers and escalated rapidly across seven of the eight towers. By Thursday morning, the blaze in four of these towers was reported to be “under control.”
- At least 56 people have been confirmed dead, including a firefighter; dozens have been injured, and more than 270 residents remain unaccounted for.
- Investigators say highly flammable materials used on façades and renovation structures contributed significantly to the fire’s spread.
- Three individuals linked to the construction company — two executives and an engineering consultant — have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence and potential manslaughter.
- Nearly 1,000 residents were evacuated overnight, and authorities have ordered immediate inspections of all renovation sites across public-housing estates.
Go deeper:
Typhoon Saola makes landfall in Southern China
F.abedi - ahmad shirzadian
