Dozens Dead, Hundreds Missing, Seven Buildings Burn in Hong Kong

HONGKONG, detak24.com – A massive fire engulfed seven high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, killing 44 people and leaving hundreds more missing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences and urged efforts to minimize casualties and damage.

The fires have been raging since Wednesday. Local officials said on Thursday (November 27, 2025) that this was the worst fire in the Chinese autonomous city in decades.

While the fire was reportedly still smoldering, police announced the arrest of three suspects in connection with the tragedy. No specific details were given about their charges.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the deceased firefighters and expressed sympathy to the victims’ families, according to state television, CCTV.

“He expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and those affected by the disaster, and called for maximum efforts to extinguish the fire and minimize casualties and losses,” CCTV said.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the government would prioritize the disaster but postpone public gatherings for the Legislative Council elections on December 7.

He did not say whether the elections could be postponed, but said a decision would be made in the “next few days.”

The Fire Department said the fires in three buildings were brought under control shortly after midnight.

The buildings involved were part of a complex of 2,000 apartments. The massive blaze first ignited bamboo scaffolding in several apartment blocks at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po. The scaffolding was reportedly undergoing maintenance throughout the complex.

At the scene of the fire, an AFP journalist heard loud cracking sounds on Wednesday, likely from burning bamboo, and saw thick plumes of smoke billowing from the buildings as flames and ash rose into the sky.

A 65-year-old resident surnamed Yuen said he had lived in the complex for more than four decades and that many of his neighbors were elderly and may be unable to move.

“The windows were boarded up for maintenance, (some people) didn’t know there was a fire and had to be told to evacuate through phone calls from neighbors,” Yuen told AFP.

“I was devastated. There was a lot of loss of property and loss of life, even a firefighter died.” More than 900 people were taking refuge in temporary shelters, Lee said.

Authorities said they would investigate the fire and the materials on the building’s exterior that may have caused the fire to spread more quickly than usual.

A police officer at the temporary shelter told AFP that it was not yet clear how many people were missing as residents were still arriving late into the night to report missing family members.

Several charred pieces of scaffolding fell from the burning blocks, and flames could be seen inside apartments, sometimes shooting out through windows into the night sky, casting an eerie orange glow on surrounding buildings.

“The temperature at the scene is very high, and there are some floors where we can’t reach people calling for help, but we’re going to keep trying,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of fire operations.

He said the fire likely spread from one building to another due to wind and flying debris, though he added that authorities were investigating the cause of the fire. (int)

Editor : kar