Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in 63 years: What we know and how it spread

2 weeks ago 19

At slightest 44 radical have died aft Hong Kong’s worst occurrence successful 63 years tore done respective high-rise buildings connected Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Firefighters are inactive warring the blaze successful the Tai Po neighbourhood, and trying to scope radical who are trapped inside.

By aboriginal Thursday morning, officials said they had brought the occurrence successful 4 buildings nether control, but firefighters were inactive moving connected 3 others much than 16 hours aft the blaze started.

Here is what to know:

What happened successful Hong Kong?

An flat analyzable successful Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood caught occurrence astatine astir 2:51pm (06:51 GMT) section clip connected Wednesday.

The occurrence began connected the bamboo scaffolding extracurricular 1 of the buildings. This benignant of scaffolding, made from bamboo poles utilized by workers during repairs, burns precise easily. Once the scaffolding caught fire, the flames rapidly dispersed up the operation and into the building, and past to adjacent towers.

The blocks were besides wrapped successful greenish operation netting each the mode to the rooftops owed to ongoing renovation work, which besides caught fire, helping it dispersed faster.

According to section media, the occurrence intensified rapidly: By 3:34pm (07:34 GMT), it had reached a level 4 alarm, and by 6:22pm (10:22 GMT), it had reached a level 5 alarm – the highest alert level successful Hong Kong.

The blaze is Hong Kong’s deadliest occurrence since astatine slightest August 1962, erstwhile a occurrence successful the city’s Sham Shui Po territory killed 44 people. A occurrence astatine the Garley Building connected Nathan Road successful Kowloon killed 41 radical and injured 81 others successful November 1996.

Since Monday, Hong Kong has been nether a heightened occurrence alert arsenic adust upwind conditions made the hazard of occurrence highly high.

What we cognize astir the Tai Po blaze and wherefore it spread

Where did the occurrence start?

The occurrence started astatine Wang Fuk Court, a lodging property successful Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.

The complex, built successful 1983, consists of 8 high-rise buildings with a full of 1,984 flats. According to section media reports, 7 of the buildings were affected by the fire. Of those, 4 person since been brought nether control.

Tai Po is simply a suburb of Hong Kong adjacent the borderline with mainland China, and is location to astir 300,000 residents. It is portion of the government’s subsidised home-ownership scheme.

Property records amusement that Wang Fuk Court has been undergoing large renovation work, costing astir $42.43m.

Fire burns bamboo scaffolding crossed aggregate buildings astatine Wang Fuk Court lodging estate

How did the occurrence dispersed truthful quickly, and what caused it?

The occurrence dispersed precise rapidly due to the fact that it started connected the bamboo scaffolding astir the gathering and dispersed to the greenish netting covering the structures.

Both the bamboo and the greenish netting pain easily, truthful erstwhile they caught fire, the flames changeable up the extracurricular of the operation and reached galore floors.

Burning pieces past fell and acceptable adjacent buildings connected occurrence wrong minutes. Wind and unfastened areas from the renovation enactment apt made the flames turn adjacent faster.

While the nonstop origin is inactive being investigated, officials accidental the flammable scaffolding, gathering materials, and the tall, intimately packed towers each helped the occurrence get retired of control.

A drone presumption shows flames and heavy fume rising from the Wang Fuk Court lodging

Police besides said they recovered mesh and different protective materials connected the extracurricular of the buildings that did not look to beryllium fireproof, arsenic good arsenic styrofoam materials connected the windows.

“We person crushed to judge that those successful complaint astatine the institution were grossly negligent, which led to this mishap and caused the occurrence to dispersed uncontrollably, resulting successful large casualties,” Eileen Chung, elder superintendent astatine the Hong Kong Police Force, said.

Officers person arrested 2 directors and an engineering consultant, aged betwixt 52 and 68, of a operation company.

Chung said constabulary arrested them successful the Tai Po, Ngau Tau Kok, and San Po Kong districts astatine astir 2am connected Thursday (18:00 GMT, Wednesday).

Wong 71, reacts aft claiming his woman is trapped wrong Wang Fuk Court during a large fire

How galore radical died oregon are missing?

Authorities person confirmed the deaths of 44 people, including a firefighter. About 279 residents are inactive unaccounted for. As of 8am (00:00 GMT), astatine slightest 66 radical had been admitted to hospital, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority told CNN. Of those, 17 were successful captious condition, and 24 were listed arsenic serious.

Four radical died successful hospital. About 900 radical person sought structure successful assemblage centres.

What is the latest connected the ground?

It is present 9:42am (01:42 GMT) successful Hong Kong, and according to section reports, firefighters are inactive warring the blaze.

Earlier, the South China Morning Post reported that Derek Armstrong Chan, the lawman manager of occurrence services, said utmost vigor had prevented firefighters from accessing immoderate upper-floor apartments. He added that crews would “keep trying” to scope them.

He besides said that the “debris and scaffolding of the affected gathering are falling down, posing further information to our frontline personnel”.

Overnight, helium said, it was dark, and that made the rescue and firefighting cognition “more difficult”.

“In the hours of darkness, it volition airs further information and difficulties to our operation, and up to this moment, the somesthesia wrong the occurrence country is inactive precise high. So, we person difficulties proceeding to precocious floors of 2 of the buildings.”

The Hong Kong Fire Services Department mobilised much than 1,200 occurrence and ambulance unit to the site, officials said. Some successful the country person returned to enactment and school.