Overview
- Chief Executive John Lee said at least 36 people were killed with 279 unaccounted for and 29 still in hospital after the Wang Fuk Court inferno in Tai Po.
- The fire reached a five-alarm alert as crews deployed 128 fire engines and 57 ambulances while extreme heat and falling debris hindered access to upper floors.
- Authorities said the blaze spread across exterior bamboo scaffolding and green mesh on multiple towers under refurbishment, a method the government began phasing out for public projects earlier this year.
- Officials confirmed a firefighter was among the dead, with hundreds of residents evacuated to temporary shelters, sections of Tai Po Road closed, and several schools shut.
- Hong Kong activated emergency coordination and relief measures as China’s Xi Jinping urged an all‑out effort to reduce losses, with the cause under investigation.