Hong Kong High-Rise Inferno Leaves More Than 250 Missing as Rescue Efforts Continue

 

By Joylene Lopokoit

Hong Kong is in shock after a catastrophic high-rise fire tore through a residential complex in Tai Po, leaving more than 250 people missing and dozens feared dead in one of the city’s worst disasters in decades.

The blaze erupted late Tuesday night at Wang Fuk Court, a densely populated estate where several towers were undergoing renovation. Wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and plastic construction mesh, the buildings became fuel for the flames, which raced up multiple floors within minutes.

Firefighters fought through the night under perilous conditions, as thick smoke flooded stairwells and blocked escape routes. Many residents were trapped in their apartments, forced to seek refuge at windows or on balconies as the fire spread upward and across the scaffolded exterior.

Emergency teams managed to rescue some occupants from lower levels, but authorities confirmed that more than 250 people remain unaccounted for, raising fears that the final casualty count could be devastating.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes: families screaming for help from high-rise windows, people attempting to flee across adjoining rooftops, and parents shielding children from burning debris cascading down the building façade.

Outside the complex, hundreds of distressed relatives gathered through the night, clutching photographs and identification documents, desperate for news of loved ones who had not been located.

City officials vowed that search and rescue operations would continue “for as long as needed.” However, fire crews cautioned that several sections of the towers remain dangerously unstable, slowing their progress.

The Hong Kong government has pledged a full investigation into the cause of the fire and announced emergency relief measures for those displaced. But public anger is mounting, with growing calls for tighter enforcement of building-safety regulations and harsher penalties for renovation contractors whose negligence could put lives at risk.

As authorities brace for a potentially rising death toll, the disaster has left Hong Kong deeply shaken — and more than 250 families holding onto hope for the survival of those still missing.