A massive fire that engulfed multiple high-rise buildingsโ in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon has claimed at least 128 lives,with approximately 200 people still โคunaccounted for,authoritiesโข reported. The โคblaze, which originated on scaffolding surrounding a residential complex at Wang โFuk Court, rapidly spread to seven of the eight towers.
Theโฃ disasterโข is intensifying scrutiny of โbuildingโค safety regulations in Hong Kong, particularly the โcontinued use of bamboo scaffolding. Residents had previouslyโ alerted authorities to potential fire hazards, raisingโข questions about preventativeโฃ measures and response preparedness.Only 39 of the 128 fatalities have been identified as of Thursday.
The fire’s rapid escalation was fueled by scaffolding protection nets, polystyrene panels, and the โคbamboo scaffolding itself, according to investigators. Hong Kong officials had rejected a proposal to ban bamboo โscaffolding โin July, but following the โdevastating fire, head of administration Eric Chan announced a swiftโ transition to steel scaffolding.
Theโฃ scale of the tragedy has prompted a widerโข examination of fire safety standards in densely populatedโฃ urban environments. The search for missing individuals continues as authorities work to determine the full extent of the damage and investigate the cause of the โinitial outbreak.
