At least four people died on Wednesday after a massive fire tore through several high-rise towers inside a residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, according to the government and the Fire Services Department. Officials said an unknown number of residents were still trapped as crews fought flames that engulfed multiple blocks of the Wang Fuk Court estate.
The blaze, visible across the district as night fell, sent thick smoke pouring from the thirty-one-storey towers while orange flames burned through apartments and external scaffolding. Authorities said they could not yet confirm how many people remained inside the buildings.
Crowds gathered on a nearby walkway, watching firefighters struggle to contain the blaze as smoke drifted across the suburban district near the border with mainland China. Local media reported that sections of bamboo scaffolding — used during renovation work on some of the towers — collapsed to the ground during the fire.
Injuries mounted as the evening went on. The government said three people were in critical condition with severe burns and another remained in serious condition. Several fire service members were also hurt during the response.
One resident, a seventy-one-year-old man surnamed Wong, told local reporters he had been unable to reach his wife, who was trapped in one of the burning towers. He broke down in tears as he described watching the fire spread through the block where she lived.
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Wang Fuk Court is home to about two thousand apartments, making it one of the large housing estates that shape Hong Kong’s skyline. The city remains one of the most densely populated places in the world, leaving emergencies like this particularly dangerous.
Dozens of fire engines and ambulances lined the roads around the complex, according to Reuters witnesses. Firefighters used aerial ladders to reach upper floors while crews on the ground worked to control falling debris.
No cause for the fire has been confirmed, and officials said investigators will assess the structural damage once the site is secured.
The Fire Services Department said crews would continue searching the buildings through the night, though visibility and access remained limited. Officials also warned that the number of casualties could rise once teams reach sections that remain cut off by smoke and heat.
Tai Po, a long-established community of around three hundred thousand people, has seen large-scale residential expansion in recent decades. Many of its high-rise complexes are undergoing regular maintenance, a common sight across Hong Kong.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as rescue teams work through the affected towers and account for missing residents.