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At least 55 people have died and nearly 300 remain missing after a fire spread rapidly across bamboo scaffolding at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Hong Kong. Police have arrested three construction company staff as investigators examine whether unsafe scaffold and mesh materials helped the blaze race up the towers.
A high-rise fire that swept through multiple tower blocks in Hong Kong has triggered a criminal investigation into the scaffolding and temporary works used on the buildings, as authorities confirm one of the worst fire disasters in the city’s modern history.
The blaze broke out at 2.51 pm on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a district near the mainland border. The complex consists of eight residential towers containing nearly 2,000 flats and about 4,800 residents.
Firefighters fought through the night to reach trapped occupants as flames climbed the external bamboo scaffolding and protective mesh sheets installed for renovation works. By Thursday morning, four of the 32-storey blocks had been brought under control, though fires were still visible on at least two towers.
A firefighter is among the 55 confirmed dead. Forty-five people remain in a critical condition in hospital. Roughly 900 residents have taken refuge in temporary shelters.
Police said early findings indicate the fire spread quickly along bamboo scaffolds and plastic mesh coverings surrounding the buildings. The estate has been undergoing major refurbishment, and Hong Kong has been phasing out bamboo scaffolding since March due to safety concerns. Industry groups say at least three fires this year have involved bamboo scaffold structures.
Officers also discovered windows on one nearby tower had been sealed with foam materials during maintenance, a factor they believe worsened the spread of heat and smoke.
Three construction staff arrested
Two company directors and an engineering consultant from the construction contractor responsible for the works have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Superintendent Eileen Chung said there was “reason to believe the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent”, leading to a fire that spread “uncontrollably”.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said the focus remained on rescuing trapped residents and supporting survivors. China’s president Xi Jinping called for an “all-out effort” to limit further casualties.
The death toll has now surpassed the 41 lives lost in a Kowloon commercial building fire in 1996, which led to significant changes in fire safety regulations across Hong Kong’s high-rise stock.
The latest incident is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of façade safety, the regulation of temporary works and the continued use of bamboo scaffolding on occupied buildings.
