November 28, 2025 | 01:43 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A massive fire in Hong Kong has left at least 94 people dead, with hundreds still unaccounted for, authorities said on Friday, November 28, 2025.
Officials are preparing to end search and rescue operations following what has become the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly eight decades.
The fire tore through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po on Wednesday afternoon, spreading rapidly across the eight-tower estate.
The buildings were undergoing renovation at the time and were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green safety netting, conditions that investigators say accelerated the spread of the flames.
According to CNA, firefighters managed to extinguish fires in four towers and bring the remaining blocks under control. The disaster has triggered renewed scrutiny of safety standards in one of the world’s most densely populated cities, prompting authorities to pledge a full shift from bamboo to steel scaffolding.
Rescue Efforts and Rising Toll
Deputy Fire Services Director Derek Chan said crews aimed to “force entry into all units of the seven buildings” on Friday to ensure no victims remained inside.
"We'll endeavour to effect forcible entry to all the units of the seven buildings, so as to ensure there are no other possible casualties," Derek told reporters early on Friday.
As of Thursday morning, 279 people were still listed as missing, though the figure had not been updated for more than 24 hours. Twenty-five emergency calls remain outstanding, including several made in the hours prior.
Rescue teams struggled against collapsed scaffolding, thick smoke, and extreme heat while attempting to reach upper floors. Survivors were pulled from several buildings, but most fatalities were concentrated in two towers. A firefighter said one man was rescued from a 16th-floor staircase.
Bodies have continued to emerge near a temporary shelter, Al Jazeera reported. A grieving mother told the South China Morning Post that her baby was found lifeless alongside an adult relative inside their apartment, while her mother-in-law is still missing. Another woman was seen clutching her daughter’s graduation photo while searching for her missing child and husband.
Chief Executive John Lee announced that all affected households would receive HK$10,000 on Friday evening and that a HK$300 million relief fund would be established, matching an earlier government pledge for resident assistance.
Police have arrested three senior figures from Prestige Construction, consisting of two directors and a technical consultant, on suspicion of manslaughter for allegedly using unsafe renovation materials, including flammable foam boards that blocked windows.
Officers said the suspects were “grossly negligent” and seized tender documents, employee lists, computers, and phones during the raid.
The Labour Department said it had inspected the renovation site 16 times since July last year, most recently on November 20.
Experts Point to Bamboo Scaffolding Risks
Fire safety engineer Anwar Orabi said bamboo scaffolding acted as a vertical conduit for flames, undermining the buildings’ fire compartmentalization as the fire “crept” upward and ignited fuel sources inside apartments.
Another expert, Xinyan Huang of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, warned that although bamboo is cheap and easy to assemble, it “should not be used for every project.”
About 900 displaced residents were sheltering on Thursday, while some families chose to sleep in a nearby mall, leaving official shelters for those “more in need.” A secondary school also opened as a temporary refuge.
Political activities have been suspended, with all legislative election campaigns halted ahead of the December 7 vote during the state of emergency.
Hong Kong’s leadership is now seeking to quell public anger in a city where dense living conditions and renovation practices have long raised safety concerns.
Ditya Rasyadiputra contributed to the writing of this article.
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