Hong Kong - A large fire ripped through residential high-rise buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on monday, leaving four people dead and injuring several firefighters, authorities confirmed. The blaze engulfed multiple floors of Wang Fuk Court,a complex of eight towers housing approximately 2,000 residential units.
The fire,reported at 2:51 PM local time (0651 GMT),quickly escalated,prompting a No. 4 alarm – the second-highest level response – by 3:34 PM. Scores of fire engines and ambulances were dispatched to the scene, where firefighters battled the flames from ladder trucks as smoke billowed from the buildings, many of which were partially covered in bamboo scaffolding. While the number of people perhaps still inside remains unconfirmed, the incident underscores ongoing safety concerns surrounding the widespread use of bamboo scaffolding in hong Kong construction and renovation.
Witnesses reported seeing people gather on a nearby overhead walkway as the fire spread. Some firefighters were injured while attempting to extinguish the flames.
The affected area, Wang Fuk Court, is located in Tai po, a suburban area in the New Territories, close to the border with Shenzhen, China. Authorities have closed a section of Tai Po Road, a major Hong Kong highway, and diverted bus routes due to the ongoing emergency response.
Hong Kong’s government announced earlier this year plans to phase out bamboo scaffolding in public projects due to safety concerns, a practice commonly seen throughout the city’s construction landscape. The cause of the fire is currently under examination.
