Hong Kong is reeling from one of its worst residential fires in decades, as the death toll hits 83, with 72 injured and 300 people still missing. The blaze tore through several high-rise residential blocks, turning the entire complex into a massive rescue zone.
Firefighters battled the Level-4 inferno for hours, with one firefighter tragically losing his life. Nearly 700 residents have been shifted to temporary shelters as search and rescue teams race against time to find survivors.
The huge residential complex—made up of eight towers, each 31 floors high—houses almost 5,000 people, making rescue operations extremely challenging. Authorities say flames in seven blocks have now been largely controlled.
Residents describe scenes of heartbreak.
A grieving mother, holding her daughter’s graduation photo, said the fire started small but spread rapidly. “If they had controlled it in time, this disaster could’ve been avoided,” she cried.
A 70-year-old woman returned from a friend’s home only to find her apartment still burning, while others said the situation is too unstable for them to relocate.
Police have arrested two company directors and an engineering consultant on suspicion of arson. Investigations are underway to determine what triggered the catastrophe.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te expressed condolences and prayed for the safe recovery of the missing.
This incident is now being called Hong Kong’s most lethal fire in half a century.
