At least 83 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing after a catastrophic fire tore through a high‑rise housing complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, in what authorities describe as the territory’s deadliest blaze in more than 80 years. The inferno, which began on Wednesday afternoon and was still being fought into Thursday, has prompted arrests, raised serious questions about building safety, and drawn pledges of support and investigation from Hong Kong’s leadership.
Officials say the fire started on bamboo scaffolding and external construction materials around one of the towers in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, before racing up the facade and into multiple adjacent residential blocks. Flames, fanned by strong winds, spread across as many as seven of the development’s eight residential buildings, sending columns of smoke into the sky and raining burning debris onto nearby streets.
As of Thursday, authorities confirmed at least 83 dead, including a 37‑year‑old firefighter, and reported that more than 60 others had been hospitalized, many with burns or smoke inhalation injuries. Police and government officials also reported that roughly 279 residents remained unaccounted for, with some 900 evacuees sheltering in temporary accommodation as search and rescue efforts continued.
Hong Kong police have arrested three senior figures from the construction firm responsible for the renovation works, on suspicion of manslaughter linked to alleged safety failures. [6][2][9] Investigators believe that unsafe scaffolding and foam insulation or cladding materials used during maintenance may have accelerated the spread of the fire along the exterior of the 32‑storey tower and then into neighbouring buildings.
Chief Executive John Lee has stated that the government’s immediate priorities are extinguishing the remaining fires, rescuing trapped residents, caring for the injured and bereaved, and then conducting a full inquiry into what went wrong. Local district councillors have warned that many of the residents trapped or missing are elderly, highlighting wider questions about fire safety and evacuation planning in ageing public and mixed‑income housing estates.
Wang Fuk Court is a large residential development of roughly 2,000 flats that house nearly 4,800 people, built in the 1980s and currently undergoing major refurbishment, a pattern shared by many older high‑density estates across the New Territories. Fire experts and local commentators have noted long‑standing concerns about external cladding, bamboo scaffolding, and access for fire appliances in tightly packed Hong Kong neighbourhoods, issues that have surfaced repeatedly after earlier but less deadly high‑rise fires.
He wrote:
“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and across the Anglican Communion,
No doubt you will have received news of the devastating fire that swept through Hong Kong yesterday. Seven high-rise residential buildings in the Tai Po district were engulfed in flames, with the death count now at 75, and 279 missing. Countless families are now rendered homeless, and many across Hong Kong are grief-stricken by the horrifying tragedy.
In this dark moment in time, many across Hong Kong, coming from different backgrounds, have stepped up and contributed in different ways to alleviate the pain of those affected. As fellow children of God, even though we are separated by geographical distances, I ask of you to pray with us in Hong Kong for the mercy and love of our Lord:
Most merciful God, who blesses and comforts those who mourn, have mercy on the people who have lost their loved ones to the Tai Po fire; comfort their troubled spirit, and embrace them with your love in this dark hour, that they may not fall into despair.
O Lord, comfort also all those who have yet to know the whereabouts of their loved ones, who are now burdened with worry; calm their souls as you calmed the waves, that they may have hope in the face of the unknown.
Grant strength and safety to all those who are working in the front lines, racing against the clock – the firefighters, the search and rescue teams, the medical workers, the police officers, the social workers, and all the volunteers at the supply lines and shelters – may their love for others reach those in need, and may they return home safely.
And we pray for the people of Hong Kong, for resilience in face of this tragedy, and for loving fellowship between neighbour and neighbour, that they may lend a helping hand to the afflicted, making known the love of Christ where it is needed most.
This we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
The Most Revd Andrew Chan
Archbishop of Hong Kong”