Name: Hong Kong apartment fire survivors share how they escaped
Uploaded: 2025-11-29T23:54:25.705Z
Duration: 2 min 50 s
Description: Investigators in Hong Kong are gathering evidence at the site of the apartment block fire that killed at least 128 people. At least 150 are missing, and 11 people involved in the renovation of the complex have been arrested.

Investigators in Hong Kong are gathering evidence at the site of the apartment block fire that killed at least 128 people. At least 150 are missing, and 11 people involved in the renovation of the complex have been arrested.

Tsim Sha Tsui

Survivors of the Wang Fook apartment fire in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, have described their harrowing escapes as the fire quickly spread across multiple towers under renovation. One survivor, a live-in nanny, recounted shielding her employer's baby and live-streaming their escape to alert others, noting the absence of fire alarms in the building.

Authorities have begun an investigation into the cause of the blaze, with preliminary findings pointing to flammable renovation materials and inadequate safety measures. Residents reported raising concerns about these hazards before the incident, and the region is now observing three days of national mourning for what is described as Hong Kong's worst fire in nearly 80 years.

Hong Kong apartment fire survivors share how they escaped

Outside the Wang Fook apartment block, Nerissa Catabe shares her story of survival, clutching her employer's baby, using her body to shield him from the smoke, escaping the flames. I just grabbed the baby and go. I didn't even lock anything. Oh my goodness, it's a miracle for me that time. And then when I came from 23rd floor, I stopped from 11 because, you know, I'm shaking. That time I felt like I want to faint because I'm scared because I have a baby. She had lived at the apartment where she worked as a live-in nanny for six months. There was no alarm to alert her to the fire. She captured these videos of their escape, live-streaming them to alert other nannies in the building. The fire become like, you know, it's like hell. So, because the building is in front of this, I saw the building was very terrible, very, you know. So, at night it's hard to sleep. I want to thank God because he gave me wisdom. He helped me to continue to go out. The fire started at one tower in the estate and quickly spread to six others. The buildings had been under renovation since July last year. With the rescue effort over and the buildings safe for investigators to enter, police are collecting evidence to understand the cause of the fire and how it spread so quickly. The investigation is expected to take a few weeks. Preliminary findings point to the use of flammable foam boards blocking windows and plastic mesh covering bamboo scaffolding. Mrs. Wong has lived here for 42 years and says she raised concerns about the contractors with building authorities. I saw they used foam boards on the windows and I found it very strange because they are flammable. I also saw the workers smoking. I could smell the smoke. Now she has no home and wears donated clothes. A victim of what many here told Al Jazeera was an avoidable tragedy. Some residents told us they had complained repeatedly to Hong Kong's Housing Authority about the renovation since it began. At this victim identification centre, relatives of those missing are able to look at photographs taken by firefighters of the bodies they found in the apartments, alongside information about where the person was found. People left the centre in shock and tears. People from all over Hong Kong came to the site to pay respects to those killed. The region is observing a three-day period of national mourning, marking the worst fire Hong Kong has seen in nearly 80 years. Jessica Washington, Al Jazeera, Hong Kong.

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