Night of Horror: Fire engulfs Hong Kong estate, killing at least 14 people, many trapped

A huge fire swept through several high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring many more. Firefighters struggled for hours to bring the flames under control.

The fire started in the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, a group of eight residential blocks with about 2,000 apartments.

The buildings were covered in bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting because of ongoing renovation works. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Fire crews said the extreme heat made it difficult to reach the upper floors, and strong winds caused the blaze to spread quickly to seven of the eight buildings. The fire was reported at 2:51 p.m. and was raised to a No. 5 alarm Hong Kong’s highest level  by 6:22 p.m.

A firefighter is among the 14 confirmed dead. More than 16 people have been injured. Authorities said they still do not know how many people may be trapped inside.

Many residents watched in shock as thick black smoke poured from the towers.

A 71-year-old man, Mr. Wong, cried as he said his wife was trapped inside. Another resident, Harry Cheung, 66, said he heard a loud noise just before the fire broke out and quickly evacuated. He said he did not know where he would sleep that night.

Parts of the bamboo scaffolding collapsed as firefighters battled the flames. Large numbers of fire engines and ambulances crowded the area.

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee held an emergency meeting in the evening and said all departments were focused on helping affected residents. China’s President Xi Jinping also called for full efforts to put out the fire and reduce casualties.

The fire forced the closure of a section of Tai Po Road, one of Hong Kong’s main highways, causing bus diversions. At least six schools will close on Thursday because of traffic problems and safety concerns.

This is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1996, when 41 people died in a commercial building fire caused by welding work.

Earlier this year, the government began phasing out the use of bamboo scaffolding in public construction projects due to safety concerns, requiring half of such works to switch to metal scaffolding instead.

Wang Fuk Court, completed in 1983 and part of a subsidised homeownership scheme, has been undergoing renovation for about a year at a cost of HK$330 million.

Each apartment owner has been contributing between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000 to the project.

Hong Kong remains one of the world’s most expensive housing markets, where owning a home is out of reach for many, and rents remain near record highs.