Name: Death toll in Hong Kong residential high-rise fires rises to 36
Uploaded: 2025-11-27T00:17:26.725Z
Duration: 3 min 16 s
Description: The death toll in a fire that engulfed several high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong has risen to at least 36, authorities say, with more than 275 others still unaccounted for. Hong Kong leader John Lee confirmed the updated death toll early on Thursday.

The death toll in a fire that engulfed several high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong has risen to at least 36, authorities say, with more than 275 others still unaccounted for. Hong Kong leader John Lee confirmed the updated death toll early on Thursday.

Tai Po District

A fire broke out at the Wong Fook Court housing complex in Hong Kong's Taipo District, resulting in the deaths of at least 36 people. The blaze, which started in the afternoon and quickly spread through bamboo scaffolding and protective netting, engulfed several high-rise towers and forced mass evacuations of residents.

Authorities escalated the response to a Level 5 alarm, the highest emergency level in Hong Kong, as firefighters struggled to access the buildings due to extreme heat. Hundreds of first responders were dispatched, temporary shelters were opened for displaced residents, and investigations into the cause of the fire are underway.

Death toll in Hong Kong residential high-rise fires rises to 36

What began as repairs quickly spiralled into tragedy in one of the world's most densely populated cities. Flames erupted mid-afternoon at Wong Fook Court, a housing complex in the northern district of Taipo in Hong Kong. Bamboo scaffolding and protective netting caught fire, spreading rapidly to engulf a complex of high-rise towers. Residents described loud crackling from burning bamboo and collapsing scaffolding, thick smoke pouring from windows and flaming debris raining down. By nightfall, authorities escalated the response to a Level 5 alarm fire, the highest severity level under Hong Kong's emergency system. Temperatures so hot, firefighters were unable to enter buildings. The fire is spreading quickly to nearby buildings and we received numerous assistance calls from the public and also debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings are falling down so pose additional danger to our frontline personnel. The inferno consumed multiple towers in the complex, home to nearly 2,000 apartments and more than 4,000 residents. The crisis sparking mass evacuations and desperate rescue efforts. The blaze behind me is a Level 5 fire, that is the highest level alert. I can smell smoke in the air and occasionally there are bangs as debris falls to the ground. Now the buildings behind me were undergoing renovation and videos taken by eyewitnesses showed the fire spreading across the bamboo scaffolding and green mesh covering the high-rise buildings. Hours after the fire began, reports emerged that people remained trapped inside smoke-filled apartments, family members outside saying they'd been unable to contact relatives. Hundreds of first responders dispatched to the scene, but people watching their homes burn, left with little room for hope. Look, all the apartments are just burning. I do not know what to do. I hope the government can help us to settle down after this. One neighbor said he still could not find his wife. I know someone who has young children and elderly in their family. I called him and he said he was still trapped inside the building. As night fell, nearby buildings were evacuated and temporary shelters opened for hundreds of displaced residents. Authorities closed major roads and issued warnings to nearby communities to stay indoors, close windows and avoid the area. Authorities are beginning the difficult task of determining what caused one of Hong Kong's worst residential fires in years. The human impact, however, is already painfully clear. Laura Westbrook, Al Jazeera, Taipo District, Hong Kong.

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