At least 14 people have been killed by a raging fire at a high-rise Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday that left others trapped inside.
More than 16 people have been injured and three people remain in critical condition, including one man and one woman who were taken to hospital unconscious with severe burns.
One of the deceased was a firefighter who arrived at the scene to put out the blaze.
At least 13 people are still trapped in the burning high rise buildings, including eight elderly residents and two babies, but the total figure could be more. Some 14 cats are also trapped in the blaze.
The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread on bamboo scaffolding that had been set up around the exterior of the complex in the city’s Tai Po district.
Massive flames took hold on the scaffolding on at least three apartment blocks at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a district in the northern part of the Chinese financial hub, before spreading to other parts of the buildings.
Video from the scene showed at least five buildings close to each other ablaze, with flames coming out of many of the apartments’ windows. Firefighters were aiming water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.
The blaze was reported mid-afternoon and was upgraded to level 5, the highest level of severity, as night fell.
Fire authorities said they were grappling to get to the towers’ upper floors due to the intense heat, and containing the blaze was getting tougher after night fell.
Tai Po, which has a population of about 300,000, is a suburban area in Hong Kong in the New Territories, near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
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A man reacts, as smoke rises while flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025
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At least 13 people were killed when a fire engulfed several high-rise blocks in a Hong Kong residential estate on November 26, 2025
A resident surnamed Wong, 71, broke down in tears, saying his wife was trapped inside one of the buildings.
The fire service said it lost contact with the deceased firefighter, 37, at around 3.30pm local time, before they managed to locate him half an hour later.
He was rushed to hospital, where he was later confirmed dead at 4.45pm.
The firefighter had been with the service for nine years.
At least one other firefighter is still in hospital.
They battled the orange flames into the night as thick black smoke billowed from the towers, which were sheathed in bamboo scaffolding – whose use the government began phasing out in March for safety reasons – and green construction mesh.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
Police said they had received multiple reports of people trapped in the affected buildings.
Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived at Block Two in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard ‘a very loud noise at around 2.45pm’ (6.45am GMT) and saw a fire erupt in a nearby block.
‘I immediately went back to pack up my things,’ he told Reuters.
‘I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home.’
Some fire services staff have also been injured, while trying to put out the flames that ripped through the 31-storey towers.
People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay as smoke billowed from the buildings while scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the complex.
The Fire Service Department said it does not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside.
It received reports at 2.51pm (06.51am GMT) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
The fire was upgraded to a No. 4 alarm at 3.34pm before reaching No. 5 at 6.22pm. Strong winds fanned the flames, causing the blaze to spread to seven of the complex’s eight blocks.
Wang Fuk Court is a housing complex made up of eight blocks, providing close to 2,000 residential units.
The complex, that accommodates around 4,000 residents, was undergoing major renovations.
Wang Fuk Court is a complex under the government’s subsidised home ownership scheme and has been occupied since 1983.
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The Fire Service Department received reports at 2.51pm (0651 GMT) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po
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Some fire services staff have also been injured, while trying to put out the flames that ripped through the 31-storey towers
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People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay as smoke billowed from the buildings while scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the complex
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The Fire Service Department said it does not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside
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Smoke rises as flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025
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Smoke rises after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories on Wednesday, Nov. 26 2025
Several towers have bamboo scaffolding on their exterior.
Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is one of the last places where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.
Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.
Due to the fire, an entire section of the Tai Po road, one of Hong Kong’s two main highways, has been closed and buses are being diverted.
‘Residents nearby are advised to stay indoors, close their doors and windows, and stay calm,’ the Fire Services Department said.
‘Members of the public are also advised to avoid going to the area affected by the fire.’
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A woman reacts at a temporary shelter, after a fire started across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025
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People eat a meal at a temporary shelter, after a fire started across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025
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People look at flames engulfing a building after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories, Wednesday, Nov. 26 2025
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Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is one of the last places where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction
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The fire department said it received reports at 2.51pm (0651 GMT) that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po
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Firefighters work as efforts are underway to extinguish flames engulfing bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025
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The blaze was reported midafternoon and has now been upgraded to level 5 – the highest level of severity
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Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns
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Officers set up a hotline for members of the public to ask about casualties as a result of the blaze
By 6.00pm local time, police started knocking on doors at Kwong Fuk Estate, a nearby public housing complex, telling residents of Kwong Lai House and Kwong Yau House to evacuate.
Officers set up a hotline for members of the public to ask about casualties as a result of the blaze.
The hotline number is 1878 999.
Four people were hospitalised after a separate fire on the scaffolding of a building in Hong Kong’s central business district last month.
Five people died after a fire broke out in a densely populated residential building in Hong Kong’s bustling Kowloon district in April last year.
Deadly fires were once a regular scourge in Hong Kong, especially in poorer neighbourhoods.
However, safety measures have been ramped up in recent decades and such fires have become much less commonplace.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee called an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening.
‘All government departments are fully assisting residents affected by the fire, prioritising the safety and well-being of the public,’ a government statement said.
At least six schools will be closed on Thursday due to the fire and traffic congestion.
It is Hong Kong’s worst fire since 41 people died in a commercial building in the heart of Kowloon in November 1996.
That fire was later found to be caused by welding during internal renovations.
A public inquiry yielded sweeping updates to building standards and fire safety regulations in the city’s high-rise offices, shops and homes.
The government moved to start phasing out the city’s use of its bamboo scaffolding in March, citing safety concerns.
It announced that 50 per cent of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.
Wang Fuk Court has been undergoing renovations for a year at a cost of HK$330 million (£32 million), with each unit paying between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000.
Owning a home is a distant dream for many in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most expensive housing markets and where residential rents are hovering around record highs.
SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15327877/Four-dead-fire-rages-Hong-Kong-apartment-block-fire-spread-bamboo-scaffolding.html