A horrific blaze broke out on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in the suburban Tai Po district of Hong Kong. At least 128 people died in this international calamity. The conflagration has surpassed the 2017 Ghost Ship fire in Oakland as the city’s deadliest fire in recent memory. Local firefighters are desperately searching for any remaining victims and potential survivors within the widespread devastation.
The blaze started at Wang Fuk Court, before leaping along the construction materials that lined the area as well as the bamboo scaffolding. It consumed seven of the other eight 32-story towers in the structure complex. Firsthand accounts from those working nearby indicate that the fire spread quickly out of control because of the combustible materials used in construction work that was still underway. This human tragedy broke records. That made it worse than the previous deadliest incident in Hong Kong’s history, a 1996 fire in a Kowloon commercial building that killed 41 people.
As firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames and conduct search operations, hundreds of survivors who managed to escape the blaze found temporary refuge in nearby shelters, including a local school. About 900 of the 4,800 residents of Wang Fuk Court were evacuated into these temporary accommodations. Over 70 people were hurt in the shocking incident. Of these, a dozen or so firefighters without protective gear attempted to keep the fire at bay.
From there, witnesses painted a picture of terrible confusion and panic as people evacuated the flaming towers. Thanks to urgently communicated warnings about the fire, either many residents had already evacuated or were out when the fire started. Eyewitness testimony told the dramatic story of the panic when people began fleeing from the top floors. Smoke filled their homes, intensifying the panic and urgency of the crisis.
The tragedy at Wang Fuk Court evokes the most painful memories of past disasters. Perhaps the most tragic was a 1948 warehouse fire that killed 176 people, highlighting the ever-present threat of fire in dense, urban communities. Chief Executive John Lee and the Hong Kong authorities are not mincing words. They’ve agreed to create an interim task force to do a full and open investigation into the cause of this disastrous derailment.
As this investigation moves forward, questions about safety regulations and construction practices will surely be at the forefront. The modular apartments in Wang Fuk Court are a modest 40 to 45 square meters, or roughly 430 to 485 square feet. This brings up critical concerns regarding the quality of life and safety regulations in high-density residential buildings.
