A woman, shielding her face with a tissue, exits a community center where images of fire victims are displayed to help identify them. Source: SIPA USA / Vernon Yuen
Kiko Ma, a resident of Wang Fuk Court, revealed to the BBC that fire alarms were disabled during ongoing renovations, and construction personnel frequently utilized the emergency exits for their comings and goings.
Hong Kong security chief Chris Tang said rescue efforts had now been concluded and at least 79 people, including 12 firefighters were injured, he said.
The confirmed death toll rose to 128 as of Friday afternoon in Hong Kong with 200 people still missing, according to Tang. That made it Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948, when 176 people were killed in a warehouse blaze.
By Friday, firefighters contained the blaze that tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northern district of Tai Po, containing it to four of its 2,000 units.
“Those responsible used minor incentives to persuade unsuspecting elderly inhabitants to back their initiatives,” they shared in an Instagram comment.
Firefighters worked through the night to bring the blaze under control after it erupted on Wednesday afternoon. Source: AP / Chan Long Hei
Wang Fuk Court, with eight blocks, is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
Tai Po is an established suburban district with some 300,000 residents located near the border with mainland China.
Volunteers have told SBS Cantonese that they drove through the night after the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon, delivering mattresses and blankets to affected residents with the assistance of local university students.
Frames of scaffolding were seen tumbling to the ground as firefighters battled the blaze on Wednesday, while scores of fire engines and ambulances lined the road below the development.
Video showed firefighters with flashlights searching through the charred remains of the towers on Thursday night.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of fire services, said most of the victims had been found in two high-rise blocks of the complex. He said firefighters had found residents who were alive in several of the buildings.
Volunteers deliver mattresses and bedding
Travis, a local man who works with an Australian bedding company, spent Wednesday night with around a dozen colleagues taking mattresses, blankets and pillows to affected residents in Tai Po.
His coworker Andy Lau went to a nearby university to get help from students, who were quick to join the mission.
“He goes there and takes around 20 to 30 students,” Travis said.
“He gets those students to help in five different spots”.
Andy Lau (left) and Travis said they wanted to help Hong Kong residents. Source: SBS News / Cameron Carr
Navigating the congested roads around Tai Po was challenging, with Travis and Lau having to transfer mattresses and bedding from trucks to smaller minivans.
When they got to the area around midnight, they saw that people were really “stressed out”.
“They’re still looking for their family,” Travis said.
“There are still 200 and something people missing. It’s very sad and you can’t help them at the time.”
Travis said he didn’t feel like it was tough spending all night volunteering and it was an easy choice to do so, but it was sad at times.
“It’s all we can do. We can only provide materials and there’s nothing else we can do.”
‘Helpless and anxious’
Jane Poon has previously lived in Tai Po and now resides in Australia.
Speaking with SBS Cantonese, she said many people from her community regularly passed by the Wang Fuk Court housing complex when living in Hong Kong.
“Watching the estate like this is heartbreaking, and we’re incredibly worried for the residents. Here in Australia, we feel helpless and anxious,” she said.
“Everyone is asking how this could happen in such a developed society. A construction site should have rigorous fire safety protocols.”
Former Tai Po resident Jane Poon. Source: Supplied
Poon said people are also concerned about previous renovations at the destroyed building and that there were “problems” with the owners’ corporation.
“We must demand accountability. We will continue to closely monitor developments. I know all Hong Kongers, both here and abroad, are deeply anxious.
“Everyone is worried about the residents of Wang Fuk Court who have lost contact and need to know their current situation. We hope for the swift rescue and family reunification of all affected.”
Three men from construction company arrested
Police arrested two directors and an engineering consultant of Prestige Construction, a firm contracted to perform maintenance on the buildings. Police said those arrested were under suspicion of manslaughter for using unsafe materials.
“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” police superintendent Eileen Chung said. Prestige did not answer repeated calls for comment.
Police seized bidding documents, a list of employees, 14 computers and three mobile phones in a raid of the company’s office, the government added.
The fire is Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades. Source: SIPA USA / Vernon Yuen
“The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped,” Hong Kong leader John Lee told reporters earlier. “The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation.”
Hundreds of people have been evacuated to temporary shelters. Source: SIPA USA / Vernon Yuen
From the mainland, China’s President Xi Jinping urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and to minimise casualties and losses, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said.
Hong Kong’s sky-high property prices have long been a trigger for social discontent in the city, and the fire tragedy could further stoke resentment towards authorities ahead of a city-wide legislative election in early December.
This article is in collaboration with SBS Cantonese and with additional reporting from Reuters.
