Hong Kong tower fire toll rises to 128 with 200 still missing

The estate housing more than 4,600 people had been wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh for renovation work

Rescue efforts have wound down after Wednesday's devastating blaze at a high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kong, with the death toll rising to 128 on Friday morning.

It took more than 1,000 firefighters some 24 hours to bring the blaze under control, and even nearly two days later, smoke continued to drift out of the charred skeletons of the buildings from the occasional flare-up.

On Thursday, rescuers with torches went from apartment to apartment, searching for survivors in the charred towers as thick smoke poured from the windows. The dense cluster of buildings housed thousands of people in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong’s border with China's mainland.

Hong Kong Security Chief Chris Tang said fire alarms in the complex had not been working properly.

A view of the rubble in the aftermath of the Tai Po apartment fire in Hong Kong. EPA

The final search of the buildings was expected to be completed later Friday at which point officials have said they will officially end the rescue phase of their operation. It was unclear how many people could be inside the buildings, which had almost 2,000 apartments and some 4,800 residents.

Dozens of domestic workers from the Philippines had been caught up in the disaster and 19 were still missing, said Edwina Antonio, executive director at migrant women refuge association Bethune House.

The fire is Hong Kong's deadliest since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze, and has prompted comparisons to London's Grenfell Tower inferno, which killed 72 people in 2017.

Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, said the government would set up a HK$300 million ($39 million) fund to help residents while some of China's biggest listed companies announced donations.

On the second night after the blaze, dozens of evacuees set up mattresses in a nearby mall, many saying official evacuation centres should be saved for those in greater need.

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  A major fire ripped through several residential towers in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong. EPA

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  Some apartments were still burning after the blaze at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate. AFP

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  Health workers evacuate a woman. AP

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  A man worried his wife is trapped inside cries as flames engulf the towers. Reuters

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  Thick smoke and flames rise from the residential estate. AFP

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  A firefighter was among several people killed in the blaze, authorities said. AP

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  There are nearly 2,000 units in the housing complex, according to the Hong Kong Housing Authority. AP

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  The district is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. AFP

Pope Leo XIV, who is in Turkey for his first overseas visit, said he was praying for the victims of the blaze, in a message to the Bishop of Hong Kong Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-Yan.

The Pope said he “sends the assurance of his spiritual solidarity to all those suffering from the effects of this calamity, especially the injured and the families who grieve”.

Investigation launched

Hong Kong's anti-corruption body said it launched an investigation into renovation work at the complex. “In view of the immense public interest involved, the ICAC [Independent Commission Against Corruption] today set up a task force to launch a full investigation into possible corruption in the grand renovation project of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po,” the commission said in a statement.

Officials have pointed to flammable construction materials, such as plastic netting and plastic foam panels used as window coverings, as other potential factors in the rapid spread of the fire.

Police arrested three men – the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company – on suspicion of manslaughter. Authorities said they suspected some materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, allowing the unusually fast spread of the fire.

Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) officers escort a suspect to the offices of Will Power Architects Company for a search in connection with potential corruption during the renovation project at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Hong Kong. Reuters

Most of the bamboo scaffolding that had been erected around the buildings as they underwent renovations was incinerated.

“We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent,” said Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences over a firefighter killed in the blaze and extended sympathies to the families of the dead, state broadcaster CCTV reported. He also urged efforts to minimise casualties and losses.

Evacuations and inspections

About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight. Hong Kong leader John Lee said officials would carry out the immediate inspections of all housing estates across the city that are undergoing major renovations to ensure scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.

Videos showed burning lengths of bamboo scaffolding tumbling to the ground as firefighters battled the blaze, while fire engines and ambulances lined the road below complex.

Live video from the scene showed firefighters aiming water at the intense flames from high up on ladder lorries.

The fire department said on Wednesday that it had received reports at 2.51pm that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court. By 6.22pm it had been upgraded to a No 5 alarm, the city's highest. Strong winds fanned the flames causing the blaze to spread to seven of the complex's eight blocks. Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.

The government moved to start phasing out the city’s use of its bamboo scaffolding in March, citing safety. It announced that 50 per cent of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.