13 die, 15 others injured in Hong Kong residential fire
A tragic fire ripped through a residential complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday, killing 13 people and leaving 15 others injured.
The blaze spread swiftly through bamboo scaffolding attached to the buildings, forcing about 700 residents to flee for safety. It engulfed seven apartment blocks in the Tai Po district of the New Territories, with authorities confirming that nine victims died at the scene while four others later succumbed to injuries in the hospital.
The fire ignited in the mid-afternoon and rapidly consumed the scaffold-covered exteriors. Video footage captured heavy smoke and flames bursting from windows across multiple towers as night approached. Firefighters battled the inferno using ladder trucks as officials raised the alert level to 5 Hong Kong’s highest fire emergency rating.
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A massive emergency response was deployed, involving 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances. Fire Services Director Andy Yeung confirmed that one firefighter died while another was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.
Police said they received numerous distress calls from people unable to escape the burning buildings. According to Tai Po District Council member Lo Hiu-fung, many of those trapped were believed to be elderly.
The massive housing complex comprises eight blocks with nearly 2,000 apartments and is home to about 4,800 residents, official records show.
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Authorities have set up temporary shelters to accommodate those displaced by the disaster. One resident, identified as Wu, told TVB that he was forced to abandon thoughts of saving his home. “I’ve given up thinking about my property,” he said. “Watching it burn like that was truly heartbreaking.
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