At least 94 people have died and 76 others have been injured after a massive fire tore through a high-rise public housing complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, leaving scores still unaccounted for as anger grows over what residents are calling a preventable tragedy.
The blaze, which devastated the Wang Fuk Court estate, has triggered widespread grief and outrage across the city. Among the victims was a firefighter whose girlfriend paid an emotional tribute, calling him “my superhero.”
Residents have criticised what they describe as glaring safety lapses, insisting the incident could have been avoided. “This was preventable,” one survivor said, echoing a sentiment shared by many who escaped the inferno.
Attention is now turning to how the fire spread so rapidly. Police revealed that materials used on the building’s exterior were not fireproof, a finding that has intensified scrutiny of the renovation work underway at the time of the incident.
Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, as investigators probe whether flammable scaffolding materials and mesh netting contributed to the disaster.
Footage analysed by BBC Verify shows the fire erupting along the outer façade during the initial stages, lending weight to concerns raised by experts.
Guan Yeoh, a fire safety engineering specialist and professor at the University of New South Wales, described the situation as “waiting for a disaster to happen,” noting that surrounding a building with flammable materials creates a high-risk environment under any spark or ignition source.
Beyond the human toll, the financial impact is also beginning to surface. Hong Kong’s insurance sector is bracing for a surge of claims, as thousands of residents have lost their homes and belongings.
The estate’s insurer, China Taiping Insurance, is reported to have coverage of up to HK$2 billion (£190m; $260m) for property and fire-related damages, a figure now expected to be tested as the scale of destruction becomes clearer.
Authorities say investigations into the exact cause of the fire are ongoing. But as recovery efforts continue, so too do growing demands for accountability and urgent calls for stricter safety measures to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.
