Firefighters in Hong Kong battled a massive blaze for a second consecutive day as authorities confirmed at least 75 deaths and more than a thousand residents displaced. The fire, one of the city’s deadliest in decades, ripped through a cluster of residential towers undergoing major renovation work, prompting scrutiny of construction practices and materials used on the buildings’ exterior.
A Race Against Time as Rescuers Confront Extensive Damage
The Hong Kong tower fire, which began on Wednesday afternoon, continued to smolder through Thursday as emergency crews searched for survivors in blackened high-rise blocks that once housed thousands of residents. The fire spread with alarming speed across bamboo scaffolding and construction netting, engulfing seven of the complex’s eight towers before firefighters could bring parts of the blaze under control.
Authorities said contact had been lost with 279 people early Thursday, though officials later provided no updated tally on how many remained missing or trapped. The uncertainty complicated rescue operations, with responders forced to navigate collapsed sections, lingering smoke, and extreme heat.
Latest footage from the scene showed firefighters making their way through darkened hallways, using thermal cameras and handheld lights to search units where residents may have sheltered. Orange flames still flickered from several openings even as much of the exterior had already been reduced to charred skeletal frames.
Deputy Fire Services Director Wong Ka-wing said teams were “battling high temperatures and carefully going up floor by floor,” adding that crews “don’t rule out rescuing more injured people.” More than 70 people have been reported injured so far, including 11 firefighters.
Around 900 residents spent the night in temporary shelters after being evacuated from the complex, many of them older adults who had lived in the towers for decades.
Residents Describe Chaos as Narrow Escape Routes Filled With Smoke
Among those waiting for news of loved ones was resident Lawrence Lee, who feared his wife remained trapped inside. He said he urged her to flee when the fire broke out, but she was forced to turn back when heavy smoke blocked escape routes.
“The corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark,” he said at a community shelter. “She had no choice but to go back.”
Winter and Sandy Chung, residents of one of the towers, told reporters they saw sparks falling from the exterior wall as scaffolding ignited. Though they made it out safely, they said the rapid spread of fire left them shaken. “I couldn’t sleep the entire night,” said 75-year-old Winter Chung.
Pope Leo XIV offered prayers in a message sent to the city’s Catholic bishop, extending condolences to families and acknowledging the work of emergency personnel.
Authorities Arrest Construction Company Leaders on Manslaughter Suspicion
In a development that intensified public scrutiny, police on Thursday arrested three men—directors and an engineering consultant of a construction firm—involved in the ongoing renovation project. Officers alleged the men had been “grossly negligent”, though they did not directly name the company.
Police later searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, which local media identified as the firm overseeing the renovation. Boxes of documents were seized for review. Phone calls to the company went unanswered.
Initial investigations suggest some of the materials on the towers’ exterior walls did not meet fire-resistance standards, contributing to the unusually rapid spread. Police also discovered highly flammable plastic foam panels mounted near elevator lobbies on the unaffected tower. Officials believe the panels were installed by the renovation contractor, but the purpose remains unclear.
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption commission announced it had opened a probe into possible corruption linked to the renovation project, signaling the possibility of broader regulatory and legal consequences.
Bamboo Scaffolding Tradition Faces New Scrutiny After Deadly Blaze
Authorities said the blaze began on external scaffolding of a 32-storey tower before jumping to adjacent buildings, a spread likely worsened by windy conditions. The complex, built in the 1980s, houses nearly 2,000 apartments and about 4,800 residents.
Bamboo scaffolding, long a hallmark of Hong Kong’s construction landscape, is widely used due to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. But officials now say the material’s vulnerability to fire may require a shift in standards.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan said the government would discuss an industry-wide move toward metal scaffolding, noting bamboo’s “inferior flame retardancy.”
“We believe that a complete switch to metal scaffolding should be implemented in suitable working environments,” he said.
Authorities will also conduct immediate inspections across all major renovation sites citywide to ensure compliance with safety regulations, including material certification and structural protections.
Hong Kong’s Deadliest Fire in Decades Raises Regulatory Concerns
The tragedy marks the city’s deadliest fire in many years; the last incident of comparable scale occurred in 1996, when a commercial building blaze in Kowloon killed 41 people during a 20-hour inferno.
This week’s incident has renewed questions about oversight of construction projects, particularly in older estates undergoing modernization. Safety advocates say the combination of aging buildings, heavy renovation work, and dense population centers can create heightened risk if standards are not strictly enforced.
For now, search teams continue combing through the towers as families wait anxiously for news. The full extent of casualties may not be known for some time, given the structural instability and the scale of the damage.
Source: AP News – At least 75 dead as Hong Kong firefighters battle burning towers for a second day
