Hong Kong Nears End of Search and Rescue Operations as Tower Fire Death Toll Rises to 94
- SAUDI ARABIA BREAKING NEWS
- 1 day ago
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HONG KONG, November 29, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Hong Kong fire authorities said they expect to conclude search and rescue operations on Friday after the city’s worst fire in nearly eight decades tore through a large apartment complex, killing at least 94 people and leaving dozens still missing.
Firefighters largely contained the blaze that destroyed the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, a northern district near the Shenzhen border. The eight-tower estate, home to more than 4,600 residents, had been undergoing renovations and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh when the fire started and rapidly spread on Wednesday afternoon.
Police arrested three officials from a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter for allegedly using unsafe materials, including flammable foam boards placed over windows.
Firefighters continued operations at the still-smoldering complex on Friday morning.
“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,” Deputy Fire Services Director Derek Chan said.
As many as 279 people were listed as missing early Thursday, but that figure has not been updated in more than 24 hours. Chan said 25 calls for help remained unresolved, including three recent ones that would be prioritized.
“Hope they can find more survivors in the building. I think they have tried their best,” resident Jacky Kwok said. “It is a terrible disaster that no one wanted to happen.”
Rescuers fought intense heat, thick smoke, collapsing scaffolding, and falling debris as they attempted to reach people feared trapped on upper floors.
On Thursday, a woman holding her daughter’s graduation photo searched for her child outside one of eight shelters housing around 900 displaced residents.
“She and her father are still not out yet,” said the 52-year-old, who gave her surname as Ng. “They didn’t have water to save our building.”
Most victims were found in two towers of the complex, Chan said. Survivors were located in several buildings, though no further details were provided.
Worst Fire Since 1948
The confirmed death toll rose to 94 early Friday, the Hospital Authority said. Two of the dead were Indonesian domestic workers, according to the Indonesian consulate. Hong Kong has about 368,000 domestic workers, mostly women from low-income Asian countries who live with their employers.
The fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze, and has drawn comparisons to London’s 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people and was linked to flammable cladding and regulatory failures.
Police arrested two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction, the company handling the Wang Fuk Court maintenance for more than a year.
“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident,” Police Superintendent Eileen Chung said on Thursday. Prestige did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Authorities said police seized bidding documents, an employee list, 14 computers, and three mobile phones during a raid on the company’s office.
Hong Kong’s Development Bureau has discussed gradually replacing bamboo scaffolding with metal scaffolding for safety reasons.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the government would establish a HK$300 million (US$39 million) fund to assist affected residents. Several major mainland Chinese companies also announced donations.
On the second night after the blaze, dozens of evacuees slept inside a nearby mall, saying official evacuation centres should be reserved for those in greater need. Elderly residents, families, and schoolchildren wrapped themselves in duvets and huddled near a McDonald’s and convenience stores as volunteers distributed snacks and toiletries.
Hong Kong’s dense urban landscape is dotted with high-rise housing estates. Sky-high property prices have long fueled public frustration, and the tragedy may deepen resentment toward authorities despite recent tightened political and national security control.
Authorities in both Hong Kong and mainland China moved quickly to signal strong concern over the disaster, which is seen as a major test of Beijing’s stewardship over the semi-autonomous region.
