HONG KONG – The number of fatalities from one of Hong Kong’s most devastating peacetime fires has risen to at least 44, authorities confirmed on Thursday, as emergency crews continue searching for hundreds of missing residents.
Chief Executive John Lee announced the updated toll a day after a massive blaze swept through an eight-tower residential complex at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district. He said at least 279 individuals remain unaccounted for, while 29 injured residents are receiving treatment in hospitals, including seven listed in critical condition.
Firefighters battled the inferno throughout the night, facing towering flames and thick black smoke pouring from the 31-storey buildings. The fire services said their efforts were slowed by poor visibility and intense heat inside the blocks, which made it difficult to reach two of the towers still deemed unsafe.
“The temperature inside the affected buildings remains extremely high,” Deputy Director of Fire Services Derek Armstrong Chan told reporters. He added that falling debris and unstable scaffolding had created hazardous conditions for first responders and hampered rescue efforts.
The officials earlier confirmed that nine victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while local media reported fears that several residents may still be trapped inside their apartments.
Police have arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the disaster, though details of their alleged involvement have not yet been released.
The blaze ranks among the territory’s deadliest in decades. Hong Kong last saw similar tragedies in 1962, when a fire in Sham Shui Po killed 44 people, and in 1996, when the Garley Building fire in Kowloon claimed 41 lives.
The authorities raised the fire to a level-five alarm — the highest emergency category — as crews worked to contain the flames.
Near the scene, a 57-year-old resident surnamed So described the unfolding tragedy as “heartbreaking,” adding, “We’re terrified people are still trapped inside. All we can hope is that everyone, young or old, gets out safely.”
