Hong Kong Fire Toll Reaches 128 as Search Efforts Continue
A devastating fire that ripped through a Hong Kong residential complex has claimed the lives of at least 128 people, with many more feared trapped inside. The blaze, which engulfed seven out of eight towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex, was finally brought under control on Friday morning after nearly 24 hours of intense firefighting efforts.
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon and rapidly spread due to bamboo scaffolding covered in netting that had been installed for renovations. Dozens of people, including firefighters, were injured in the blaze, with many more left homeless as they sought shelter in temporary facilities.
"It's a very challenging situation," said Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services, who added that the search and rescue operation was ongoing and that the death toll could still rise. "We're doing our best to find anyone who might be alive inside."
The complex, which housed over 2,000 apartments and 4,800 residents, had been undergoing major renovations when the fire started. Authorities have said they had not been able to make contact with many of the residents in the buildings that caught fire.
Arrests Made Amid Investigation into Deadly Blaze
As the search for survivors continues, authorities have arrested seven men and one woman in connection with the blaze, including scaffolding subcontractors, directors of an engineering consultant company, and project managers. The arrests were made by Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency, which is investigating possible corruption relating to the renovation project.
Police suspect that materials used on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. They have also found plastic foam panels attached to the windows, which are highly flammable and were installed by the construction company.
Immediate Inspections Planned
Authorities plan to conduct immediate inspections of many housing estates undergoing major renovations to ensure that scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.
The fire has been described as one of the deadliest in Hong Kong's history, with 41 people killed in a commercial building fire in Kowloon in 1996. The investigation into the blaze is ongoing, with officials working to determine the cause of the fire and the actions taken by those responsible.
A devastating fire that ripped through a Hong Kong residential complex has claimed the lives of at least 128 people, with many more feared trapped inside. The blaze, which engulfed seven out of eight towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex, was finally brought under control on Friday morning after nearly 24 hours of intense firefighting efforts.
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon and rapidly spread due to bamboo scaffolding covered in netting that had been installed for renovations. Dozens of people, including firefighters, were injured in the blaze, with many more left homeless as they sought shelter in temporary facilities.
"It's a very challenging situation," said Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services, who added that the search and rescue operation was ongoing and that the death toll could still rise. "We're doing our best to find anyone who might be alive inside."
The complex, which housed over 2,000 apartments and 4,800 residents, had been undergoing major renovations when the fire started. Authorities have said they had not been able to make contact with many of the residents in the buildings that caught fire.
Arrests Made Amid Investigation into Deadly Blaze
As the search for survivors continues, authorities have arrested seven men and one woman in connection with the blaze, including scaffolding subcontractors, directors of an engineering consultant company, and project managers. The arrests were made by Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency, which is investigating possible corruption relating to the renovation project.
Police suspect that materials used on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. They have also found plastic foam panels attached to the windows, which are highly flammable and were installed by the construction company.
Immediate Inspections Planned
Authorities plan to conduct immediate inspections of many housing estates undergoing major renovations to ensure that scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.
The fire has been described as one of the deadliest in Hong Kong's history, with 41 people killed in a commercial building fire in Kowloon in 1996. The investigation into the blaze is ongoing, with officials working to determine the cause of the fire and the actions taken by those responsible.
... I mean, how do you even install bamboo scaffolding on a building that's about to catch on fire? It's like they didn't care about anyone's lives 
. The fact that they had plastic foam panels attached to the windows is just crazy - those things are basically fire magnets 
. And now, 128 people are dead and many more are trapped... it's just too much 
. Can we ever get some real safety regulations in Hong Kong? 
what kinda inspections are these... just gonna make sure the scaffolding is up to code... 
128 people lost their lives due to something that could've been prevented if the authorities did their job properly 
. bamboo scaffolding covered in netting? how could they not see this was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen? 
and now all these people are left homeless without any place to call their own 
. what's even more disturbing is that there's corruption involved 
. these people who were arrested should've been held accountable sooner instead of it being a bunch of empty promises 
.
So sad 
. The bamboo scaffolding was a big mistake 
.
, but I hope they're really held accountable 
for their role in this disaster. And oh no 
, the search for survivors is still going on... it's so hard to imagine how many more lives are at risk 
.
. Immediate inspections of housing estates are a good start 
, but we need to think about all the little details that can make a big difference 
.
. We should all be thinking of them right now 
.
. This just highlights how crucial safety regulations are, especially when it comes to construction sites 
. The fact that people might be ignoring safety protocols to cut costs or meet deadlines is just outrageous 
. And to the people of Hong Kong, my heart goes out to you 
128 ppl died from scaffolding 
or friends again... it's just mind-boggling how reckless some ppl can be with lives 
.
It's like they want a free fire drill. And now 128 people are paying the ultimate price for someone else's negligence. The lack of communication between residents and the construction team is just cherry on top - I bet some folks were clueless about the safety measures being taken or not taken. 
. Anyways, hope the search and rescue efforts turn up some more survivors soon 
makes me want to scream. How could they not have ensured it was properly secured? And those plastic foam panels? Absolutely terrifying 
The arrests are a good start, but what about the bigger picture here? 
We need to make sure these kinds of tragedies don't happen again. I'm all for inspections and safety standards, let's get this done ASAP 
.