At least 44 people have died in a fire at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po district, the Hong Kong Fire Services Department announced during a morning press conference on 27/11. An additional 45 individuals are in critical condition and have been hospitalized across the special administrative region for treatment.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu previously stated that officials recorded 279 missing persons.

Chief Executive Lee outlined the government's priorities: "The top priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue those still trapped. Next is to assist the injured. The third is to support reconstruction. After that, we will launch a comprehensive investigation." He added that approximately 900 residents are currently housed in 8 shelters.

Fire engulfs buildings in the apartment complex in Tai Po district, Hong Kong on 26/11. *Photo: AFP*

The blaze erupted from bamboo scaffolding on the exterior of a Wang Fuk Court building at 2:51 PM on 26/11. It quickly spread to the other buildings within the 8-tower complex. The fire was elevated to alarm level 5, Hong Kong's highest warning tier, later that afternoon.

Firefighters gained control of the blaze in 4 of the 7 affected buildings this morning and began search and rescue operations on the lower floors. The cause of the fire remains unknown. Derek Armstrong Chan, Deputy Chief of the Fire Services Department, stated that strong winds contributed to the rapid spread, fanning embers across the area.

Residents had previously complained for months about workers smoking while on duty. Hong Kong police, according to RTHK, have arrested three men, aged 52 to 68, on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the incident.

Wang Fuk Court, a complex established in 1983 under a local government housing program, last year saw its management approve a renovation proposal valued at over 42 million USD for the buildings.

Hong Kong is one of the few places globally that still utilizes bamboo for construction scaffolding. The special administrative region's government initiated a phased removal of this material in March to enhance worker safety, following 22 deaths linked to bamboo scaffolding between 2019 and 2024.

Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters, SCMP)