Hong Kong Fire Death Toll Rises to 55; Arrests Made in Tai Po Blaze

A massive fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential apartment complex in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong has resulted in a soaring death toll of 55 as of Thursday afternoon (November 27), making it one of the deadliest fires in the city's modern history.

The death toll reached 55, including 51 fatalities found at the scene and four who died after being hospitalized. One of the confirmed dead is a firefighter.

More than 70 people were injured, many suffering from burn and inhalation injuries. The blaze started on Wednesday afternoon on the external scaffolding of a 32-story tower and rapidly spread across seven of the complex's eight buildings, possibly aided by bamboo scaffolding, construction netting, and windy conditions. By Thursday afternoon, fires in four buildings were out, and the remaining three towers were under control, though the operation was expected to last until the evening.

Residents described corridors and stairs being immediately filled with smoke upon evacuation attempts. About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters, and contact was lost with 279 people overnight, with rescue operations continuing.

Three men the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Police believe those in charge were grossly negligent. Authorities are investigating Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, which was in charge of renovations. Authorities suspect that construction materials on the exterior walls did not meet fire resistance standards, leading to the unusually fast spread.5 Police also found highly flammable Styrofoam near the elevator lobbies of one tower.

Hong Kong leader John Lee ordered immediate inspections of all major renovation work at housing estates city-wide to ensure safety compliance.6 Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed condolences.