Deadly Hong kong Fire Claims 13 Lives, Traps Residents in high-Rise Complex
TAI PO, Hong Kong – A massive fire erupted Wednesday at a residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, leaving at least 13 people dead and 16 critically injured, according to the South China Morning Post. Emergency โคservices โare continuing to battle the blaze and work โto rescue residents believed to be trapped within the 31-story buildings. A firefighter is among those confirmed dead.
The fire, reported at Wang Fuk Court – aโ complex โขcomprised of eightโ residential blocks housing approximately 2,000 apartments – quickly escalated, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to 4, the second-highest designation, within an hour of โฃthe initial call at 2:51 pmโ local time. Images from the scene depict thick, gray smoke billowingโค from โthe structures as firefighters struggle to contain the flames. Several of the buildings were undergoing renovation work andโ were partially covered in bamboo โscaffolding, a common construction practice in Hong Kong.
RTHK reports that members of the fire service sustained injuries while โคattempting to extinguish โthe fire. The causeโ of the blaze โremains under investigation. โฃAuthorities have not yet released details โregarding the number of people still unaccounted for, but confirmed that rescue efforts are ongoing to reach those trapped inside the affected buildings.
Wang Fuk Court is โa public housing estate managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority,providing affordable housing for residents in the area. The incident raises concerns about โขfire safety regulations and the potential hazards posed by โขrenovation work in densely populated residential areas.
