Updated Nov. 27, 2025 — A fast-moving fire tore through a public-housing estate in Hong Kong on Wednesday, killing at least 55 people, injuring dozens and leaving more than 250 residents unaccounted for, authorities said.
The blaze began in the afternoon on external scaffolding of a 32-story tower at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district and rapidly spread to seven of the estate’s eight blocks. Windy conditions and bamboo scaffolding helped flames race up exterior walls, sending thick smoke and embers into the sky as firefighters battled intense heat.
Fire Services Department Director Andy Yeung confirmed a 37-year-old firefighter with nine years’ service was among those killed, and described the loss as devastating to the department. Officials reported at least 62 people were injured, many with burns and smoke inhalation. About 900 residents were taken to temporary shelters.
The incident was upgraded to a level-5 alarm by nightfall, the highest severity, mobilizing more than 140 fire trucks and over 60 ambulances. Rescuers received multiple reports of people trapped inside the blocks, which together contain nearly 2,000 apartments and house roughly 4,800 residents. Local council members said many of those believed to be missing were elderly.
Police arrested three men who work for a construction firm on suspicion of manslaughter, charging them after investigators said they found highly flammable foam material affixed outside windows on each floor near the elevator lobby of the one building that remained unaffected. The three suspects, aged 52 to 68, include company directors and an engineering consultant. A senior police superintendent said investigators have reason to believe those responsible for the construction work were grossly negligent.
Authorities said the rapid exterior spread was unusual and suspect that materials on the building facades did not meet fire-resistance standards. The estate, built in the 1980s, had been undergoing major renovation work.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed condolences for the fallen firefighter and sympathy for the victims’ families, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Investigations into the cause of the fire and possible violations of building-material and safety rules are ongoing.
Tai Po is a suburban district near the border with Shenzhen. The fire is Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades, surpassing a November 1996 Kowloon commercial building blaze that killed 41 people.