On 26/11, Lim ALim, a 40-year-old resident of the second floor of Wang Cheong building, part of the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po district, Hong Kong, was resting at home when his wife called him at 15:02. "She didn't sound panicked, just said, 'There's a fire, you need to leave now'," Lim recounted.

Initially, Lim did not believe the situation was serious. He heard no fire alarm and smelled no smoke. He took a few minutes to change clothes before opening his apartment door, at which point thick black smoke instantly poured in. "Everything went dark the moment I opened the door. I tried to turn on my phone's flashlight, but I couldn't see my hand and breathing became very difficult. I quickly closed the door and went back inside," Lim said.

He called his wife again, telling her he could not get out. "That's when she burst into tears; she imagined the worst: I was about to die in my apartment."

Wang Cheong is one of eight buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex, which comprises nearly 2,000 households. Several buildings were undergoing renovation, surrounded by bamboo scaffolding and green netting. The fire ignited in Wang Cheong in the early afternoon of 26/11, then spread to other buildings, causing the complex to blaze like a torch. The Hong Kong Fire Department reported receiving the fire alarm at 14:51. The fire raged for almost one day before being brought under control on the afternoon of 27/11.

An image from Lim ALim's apartment as the fire consumed the Wang Cheong building. Photo: Facebook/limalim71

Lim ALim asked his wife if he had a chance to escape by rushing through the emergency exit and heading to the main lobby. His wife informed him that the main lobby had already turned into a sea of fire. "The last escape route was gone. I was trapped in a 'hellfire' in my own home. I could only sit helplessly, waiting to be rescued," Lim stated.

He calmed himself, searching for water-soaked cloths to seal the door gaps and prevent smoke from entering. Just then, hearing cries for help from the corridor, Lim grabbed wet cloths and rushed out. "In less than 10 seconds, my eyes teared up, and my throat felt scorched. I knew that if I didn't rescue the people in the corridor immediately, the consequences for them would be unimaginable!" he explained.

Lim slowly groped along the dark corridor wall, shouting loudly, "Come here quickly!" He discovered an elderly couple, both over 60 years old, crying for help amidst the smoke. He immediately pulled them with him, guiding them step-by-step back into his apartment, sighing with relief as he no longer felt alone in the fight for survival.

The elderly couple explained to Lim that their room window had shattered, and fire had poured in, forcing them into the corridor. There, they heard a domestic helper calling the elderly woman she cared for and headed in that direction, but the calls suddenly ceased. The couple was wearing only thin clothes and slippers, completely unsuitable for escape. Lim provided them with wet cloths, water, and his family's socks, shoes, and clothes.

His wife, who had safely returned to the ground, stood outside the burning building, calling Lim to inform him that the elevator lobby was engulfed in flames. "I told the elderly couple that in a real emergency, we would jump out the window. We were only on the second floor, so it was feasible," he shared.

Lim reassured the couple that they would not die, then looked out the window, where countless pieces of burning debris fell like black snowflakes. Preparing for the worst, he called relatives to say goodbye. His mother, living abroad, had contacted him upon hearing the news.

Some people advised Lim to call the police. He dialed 999 and was transferred to the fire department. He described his location, and a firefighter responded, "Alright, we will send someone to rescue you." Another firefighter instructed Lim to lie close to the floor and conserve his strength.

Looking through the window, Lim saw fire ladder trucks aiming their hoses at higher floors, then spotted a firefighter outside his window. "I turned on my phone's flashlight and waved frantically. Around 16:00, firefighters saw me and said they were deploying rescue efforts. I knew they were doing their best. I was still safe and understood that I should wait," he stated.

After hours of being trapped, the couple began gasping for breath. For them, breathing fresh air had become a luxury. Around 18:00, firefighters accessed the apartment using a specialized ladder, announcing they would rescue them one by one.

"The woman told me to go down first, but I replied that 'I am younger, I can endure longer' and yielded to them," Lim recounted. "When they left safely, I was alone in the apartment again. I wanted to take everything, but I couldn't. Instead, I stood silently, looking around the wreckage, saying a final goodbye to my home."

Stepping onto the fire ladder truck, the first thing Lim felt was the ice-cold firefighting water. "I felt like the sky was falling, everything I owned had turned to ashes," he said.

Lim expressed his gratitude to the firefighters, adding that he was being monitored at the hospital. He only shook his head and remained silent when a nurse asked if he would be discharged immediately. "This is a difficult time, but our spirit is even stronger. Let's heal and rebuild together," Lim wrote in a Facebook post.

Lim ALim's post garnered significant attention on social media. Over 1,000 Facebook users sent him words of encouragement. "Thank you for not giving up and for saving a couple," one account wrote. "Wishing you a long, safe, and peaceful life. You will surely have much good fortune," another account commented.

The Wang Fuk Court apartment complex. Graphic: CNN

Hong Kong officials today reported that the death toll from the Wang Fuk Court fire increased to 128 and could continue to rise as officials search each apartment. This is the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades.

As Tam (According to Hong Kong Free Press, Standard HK)