November 27, 2025 | 07:43 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Since Wednesday afternoon, teams of firefighters have been attempting to douse the flames at Wang Fuk Court, a housing complex made up of eight blocks in the city's Tai Po district in the northeast.
The fire was still burning in the early hours of Thursday, although authorities say it has been brought under control.
The fire department said it received reports on Wednesday at 2:51 p.m. (6:51 am GMT) of a fire in the residential complex. It was upgraded to a Number 4 alarm at 3:34 p.m., and as night fell, it was declared a five-alarm fire, the highest level.
Firefighters deployed 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances to the scene.
Earlier, local media had reported that an unknown number of people were trapped in the 31-storey towers — housing around 2,000 residential apartments.
Taipo District Council member, Lo Hiu-fung, told local broadcaster TVB that most of the residents trapped in the fire were believed to be elderly people.
A number of towers currently burning have bamboo scaffolding and construction netting fitted to their exterior.
TVB reported that the complex was undergoing major renovations.
Death toll rises to 44
The death toll from the huge fire which engulfed a Hong Kong housing estate rose to 44, the fire department said on Thursday morning.
A department spokesman told a news conference that hundreds were still missing.
Hong Kong authorities said the fire was finally under control.
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