Fire breaks out in 35-story building in Hong Kong's Tai Po district; 13 dead, hundreds trapped
Hong Kong Fire: A massive fire broke out on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. The complex is a cluster of 35-story buildings, and the fire spread through three of the buildings. According to Chinese media reports, 13 people have died and nine others have been injured so far. One firefighter is among the deceased.
Video clips show multiple blocks of the complex engulfed, with flames shooting upward and thick black smoke billowing from several floors. Firefighters on elevated platforms could be seen struggling to tame the inferno as burning bamboo rained down.
The fire department said it is not yet clear how many people are trapped inside. Some reports suggest that many more people may be trapped inside, but the exact number is unknown. Wang Fuk Court is a large housing complex in the Tai Po area of the New Territories. It houses approximately 4,000 people and has approximately 1,984 flats.
Fire spread rapidly due to bamboo scaffolding
According to reports, repair and renovation work was underway in the buildings. For this reason, the buildings were covered with bamboo scaffolding. This bamboo scaffolding is used in construction instead of steel structures. This is because bamboo is light, strong, and easily transported to high heights. Hong Kong is renowned worldwide for its use of bamboo scaffolding.
However, when a fire breaks out, bamboo burns very quickly, and the flames spread rapidly upwards. Experts say this is precisely what happened in the Wang Fuk Court fire, which spread to three buildings. Consequently, the government's Development Bureau is now planning to gradually phase out the use of bamboo scaffolding.
According to local media reports, the fire erupted around 2:50 pm (local time) and rapidly climbed the exterior of the building, fueled by bamboo scaffolding and green safety netting wrapped around the structure for renovation work.
Govt opens temporary shelters
Following the accident, the Hong Kong government has opened temporary shelters for those affected. These shelters have been set up at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall and the Tung Cheong Street Leisure Building. In addition, a help desk has been set up at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital to provide people with assistance, information, and essential resources. The Tai Po District Office is closely monitoring the situation and will open more shelters if needed.