Firefighters in Hong Kong concluded their operation to extinguish a massive blaze at a high-rise residential complex on Friday, as the death toll climbed to at least 128, making it one of the city’s most fatal fire incidents.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon, gutted seven of the eight towers in the Shek Kip Mei Estate in the northern district of Taipo. The complex had been undergoing renovations at the time.
Following the containment of the flames, crews conducted an intensive, apartment-by-apartment search of the affected towers, discovering dozens more bodies and raising the casualty count significantly. Officials confirmed that crews were still working through a handful of apartments in a final effort to ensure no further casualties remained.
A fire service spokesperson detailed the immense challenges faced by first responders during the emergency. “We encounter particular difficulties in several areas,” the spokesperson said, citing the fire’s “exceptionally fast” and “exceptionally rapid” spread, which quickly engulfed all seven blocks of the estate.
The situation was compounded by a high volume of distress calls, which required crews to be deployed to handle emergencies simultaneously across the complex. Physical obstacles also severely hampered rescue and firefighting efforts.
“Debris and scaffolding were falling from upper floors, making our access to the affected buildings very difficult,” the spokesperson explained. Additional factors, including high temperatures and darkness inside the towers, created perilous conditions. Critically, emergency vehicle access was blocked by fallen scaffolding and debris, further delaying the response.
The fire at the Taipo estate now stands as the deadliest in Hong Kong’s history. The community is reeling from the tragedy as recovery efforts transition from emergency response to an investigation into the cause of the catastrophic blaze.