13 dead after massive fire engulfs multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po

At least 13 people died and an unknown number were trapped on Wednesday after a massive fire engulfed multiple high-rise towers of a residential complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district, the government said.

Firefighters battled the blaze into the night, with thick black smoke billowing from the 31-storey towers and orange flames lighting up the night sky.

The Wang Fuk Court housing complex, where the fire started, is home to 2,000 residential apartments, comprising eight blocks. The Fire Services Department said it does not yet have a figure for the number of people who may still be inside the buildings.

Firefighters work as efforts are underway to extinguish flames. Reuters

FIREFIGHTER AMONG THE DEAD

One resident surnamed Wong, 71, broke down in tears and sobbed, saying his wife was trapped inside one of the buildings.

A firefighter surnamed Ho was among the 13 killed, the director of Fire Services said, and more than ten people have been injured.

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 around 2.45 pm” (0645 GMT) and saw a fire erupt in a nearby block.

“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” he said.

“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.”

People gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in dismay and taking pictures as smoke billowed from the buildings, some of which were clad in bamboo scaffolding, with social media posts from residents saying the units had been under renovation for around a year.

Frames of scaffolding were seen tumbling to the ground as firefighters battled the blaze, while scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the development, according to Reuters witnesses.

COMPLEX IN BUSY SUBURBAN DISTRICT

Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with a population of about 300,000.

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.

The complex is under the government’s subsidised home ownership scheme. It has been occupied since 1983, according to property agency websites.

The fire department said it received reports at 2.51 pm that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court. By 6.22 pm it had been upgraded to a No. 5 alarm, the city’s highest.

Strong winds fanned the flames causing the blaze to spread to seven of the complex’s eight blocks.

Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.

The government moved to start phasing out the city’s use of its bamboo scaffolding in March, citing safety. It announced that 50 per cent of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.

Hong Kong’s Transport Department said that 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.

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.

YY Chan, a 68-year-old resident waiting outside the development, said even though the fire in his block had been extinguished, “seeing the fires all around still makes you feel terrible”.

“It’s not like we can really move anywhere...we just have to face reality.”