A devastating fire has broken out in a high-rise apartment building in Hong Kong, with at least 44 reported dead, more than 270 people still missing and thousands of residents in evacuation shelters, writes the BBC.
Images from the scene show several buildings on fire and thick smoke rising into the air. By the morning of the 27th of November, the fire had not yet been extinguished and more than 720 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the fire. Three men have been detained in connection with the fire, and an investigation has been launched. Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences to the victims and the family of the firefighter who died in the line of duty.
The massive apartment complex in northern Hong Kong broke out shortly before 3 in the afternoon (local time; around 9 in the morning GMT) on the 26th of November. The complex consists of eight 31-story buildings, and the fire has spread to seven of them. According to the 2021 census, the complex had 1,984 apartments with about 4,600 residents.
The buildings, built in 1983, were undergoing renovation work and were surrounded by bamboo scaffolding and construction netting, which allowed the flames to spread rapidly. Some local media reported that no fire alarm was activated. Hong Kong’s security minister said early on the 27th of November that initial investigations indicated that the fire had spread unusually quickly.
One possible cause may have been the use of foam plastic around windows
– a material that is extremely flammable.
The Hong Kong Fire Department has classified the fire as the most severe in the city. The last major fire in Hong Kong was 17 years ago. Local media reported that explosions could be heard from inside the buildings and that it was difficult to reach the upper floors with fire hoses. The intense heat prevented rescuers from entering the building to carry out evacuation work. Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of the fire department, said that additional hazards were posed by debris and scaffolding that had fallen to the ground during the fire. He added that it was impossible to predict when the fire would be completely extinguished.
More than 40 people have been reported dead so far, with 45 people in critical condition in hospitals. Shortly after midnight on the 27th of November, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee confirmed that 279 people were missing. Police are using loudspeakers to help residents search for family members.
The government said it had set up several emergency shelters to house evacuees. Six schools in the region will be closed on the 27th of November. An emergency monitoring and support center has also been set up to deal with the aftermath of the fire.
Police have arrested three men, aged 52 to 68, on suspicion of negligence.
Two of the detainees are directors of a construction company, while the third is an engineer. Authorities have concluded that the construction netting and protective materials were not fireproof, and that foam plastic was used to cover the windows. A police spokesman said they were investigating possible wrongdoing and negligence that may have caused the fire: “We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible persons acted negligently, which led to the accident and allowed the flames to spread uncontrollably, causing the deaths.” The cause of the fire is still unknown.
The renovations have seen bamboo scaffolding and construction netting surrounding the buildings. Bamboo has a long history of use in Hong Kong construction – the material is readily available because it is fast-growing, lightweight and highly durable. Many consider it an integral part of Hong Kong’s urban landscape, but it is also one of the last places in the world where bamboo is used in construction. Local media reported in March that the government’s Development Office was pushing to phase out bamboo due to safety concerns. Pressure to switch to metal scaffolding has increased after a series of deaths linked to scaffolding collapses were reported. At the time, a spokesman for the office said bamboo scaffolding has certain weaknesses, such as uneven mechanical properties, it breaks down over time and is highly flammable.
Although the cause of the fire is unknown, authorities have noted that bamboo scaffolding contributed to the spread of the flames and the burning of nearby buildings.
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