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Hong Kong is reeling after a massive fire tore through a housing complex in the Tai Po district, killing at least 128 people and leaving dozens more injured. Authorities say around 200 residents are still unaccounted for.
The scene at Wang Fuk Court is grim. Smoke still lingers, ash drifts through the streets, and debris occasionally falls from the blackened towers. Neighbors gather in quiet shock, some holding one another, others crying silently as they try to come to terms with the scale of the disaster.
“This is unimaginable,” said one local resident. “You see the buildings, and you can only picture the panic inside.”
Warnings went unheeded?
The fire has drawn attention not just for its scale, but because residents had raised safety concerns about the building’s renovation work months earlier. Many were worried about the green mesh covering bamboo scaffolding, which they feared could catch fire. Authorities at the time said the material met safety standards but advised caution around high-risk work like welding.
Now, police say the buildings’ exterior walls were covered with various materials, nets, tarps, and plastic sheets that may not have been fire-safe. Three people linked to the renovation company, Prestige Construction, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but fire experts say the flames spread quickly along the scaffolding, fueling the devastation.
Grief and shock
Outside the complex, the emotional toll is clear. Families huddle together, sharing quiet embraces. Sometimes, anguished cries pierce the air as people learn the fate of loved ones. Seven of the eight towers are badly damaged, windows shattered, and interiors blackened by smoke.
Authorities promise a full probe into what went wrong. The Labour Department said it had conducted multiple safety inspections over the past year and issued improvement notices to the contractor, but for many, it raises uncomfortable questions about whether enough was done to prevent the tragedy.
*With information from Sky News
