Hong Kong: Fire rips tower blocks in Tai Po, 55 killed, hundreds missing

Fire tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, becoming the city’s deadliest blaze in decades.

The death toll has reached at least 55, with nearly 300 people still missing as firefighters continued searches across the scorched high-rises into Thursday.

Flames were still visible in some windows more than 24 hours after the outbreak, underscoring the scale and speed of the disaster.

The blaze spread rapidly across seven of the estate’s eight towers, aided by extensive bamboo scaffolding and dense, high-rise layouts that complicated rescue efforts.

Crews fought intense heat and thick smoke, struggling to reach upper floors; by early Thursday, the fire was brought under control in several buildings, but others continued to burn as operations stretched beyond 16 hours.

Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the cause. Police cited gross negligence from a construction firm suspected of using unsafe materials, while the government ordered immediate safety inspections of renovation sites citywide.

More than 70 people were injured, many with burns or smoke inhalation, and among the dead was a firefighter who died in the line of duty.

The estate — eight tightly packed blocks with roughly 2,000 apartments housing more than 4,600 residents — now faces a grim accounting as crews search for the missing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered condolences to victims and responders, as the tragedy drew national attention and renewed scrutiny of urban fire safety.

Officials and media described it as Hong Kong’s worst blaze in decades, with some noting it as the deadliest in more than half a century.