A tragedy occurred Wednesday afternoon when a fire broke out at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po. This enormous complex is home to three towns on the northern New Territories of Hong Kong. The tragedy has killed at least 36 people, with another 279 still missing. The sprawling complex consists of eight 31-storey towers and is home to about 4,800 people in some 2,000 flats.
The fire quickly became a five-alarm emergency as the situation escalated and developed into a large-scale regional disaster. The continued blaze prompted authorities to send at least 128 fire engines and nearly 800 firefighters to quell the flames. Though they were certainly courageous, this was a firestorm that presented unprecedented difficulties to first responders.
“It is still the priority to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped,” declared a senior government official.
By late Wednesday afternoon, firefighters were confident that the offense was “continuing to come under control.” Yet the extreme heat in the buildings challenged firefighting and rescue efforts. Derek Armstrong Chan, a senior firefighter, remarked, “The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.”
Tragically, one firefighter, 37-year-old Ho Wai-ho was killed while responding to the emergency. He was courageous in putting himself into danger in order to save others. Besides those officially declared dead, 29 people are still hospitalized, with seven listed in critical condition.
In response to this devastating fire, the Hong Kong government moved incredibly quickly. They brought on all key departments to align a robust response and support the displaced residents of the disaster area. Local government in Tai Po have opened public shelters in community centers for the evacuees of the calamity.
Harry Cheung, a resident of the complex, shared his experience of evacuating: “I immediately went back to pack up my things.” His reflection captures the sense of urgency that everyone had as they ran from the encroaching fires.
As everywhere they occur, the tragedy has drawn national attention. China’s president, Xi Jinping, has extended deep condolences to the victims and their families. A task force created by the government is now looking into what led to the fire. Their goal is to ensure that other families do not go through the same tragedy in the future.
So, another resident impacted by the event, expressed his concerns for those still unaccounted for. “There’s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely.”
While investigations into this calamity continue, our authorities are certainly devoted to actually serving to these affected and clearly discovering out what led to this catastrophe.