Image source, Reuters
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- Author’s title, BBC China
- Author, Danny Vincent
- Author’s title, BBC News
- Author, Kathryn Armstrong
- Author’s title, BBC News
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“When you get close, the heat rises and you feel it, and the smoke is very thick,” says student Thomas Liu.
He is one of many people who rushed to the scene of the deadly fire that devastated much of the eight-building Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.
At least 65 people have died and hundreds are missing in the devastating fire that started on Wednesday, and this number is expected to rise.
The cause is still unknown, but three construction company executives were arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter related to flammable materials, such as mesh and plastic sheeting, that may have allowed the fire to spread rapidly.
“It’s a disaster,” Thomas says of the fire, adding that he saw a body being carried away.
“Many people sent us WhatsApp messages or called us saying they still had relatives inside or couldn’t find them,” Tai Po district councilor Mui Siu-fung told BBC China.
More than a thousand people were forced to evacuate the housing estate as the flames spread.
Some went to centers set up as shelters. Police also moved people from nearby buildings.
The fire was gradually dying out, but authorities said they did not know when it would be completely extinguished.
Flames could be seen coming from some apartments as many people watched in silence.
A woman commented that her friends live inside the building and that she was waiting to find out if they had managed to get out.
Image source, Getty Images
Harry Cheung, who has lived in building two of the Wang Fuk Court complex for more than 40 years, told Reuters he heard “a very loud noise” and saw a fire break out in a nearby building.
“I immediately went back to pack my things,” the 66-year-old resident said.
“I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to come home.”
A woman in her 60s, surnamed Kam and living in the adjacent Kwong Fuk housing estate, told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that several of her friends who lived in the Wang Fuk Court complex had been located, but not all.
Kam noted that one of her friends usually naps daily and may have been sleeping when the fire broke out at 2:51 p.m. local time. He added that the woman’s daughters have not yet been able to contact her.
Another resident, Jason Kong, 65, told Reuters that a neighbor called him and told him he was still trapped inside one of the buildings.
“I’m devastated. There are so many neighbors and friends. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. Look, all the apartments are on fire. I don’t know what to do. I hope the government can help us get settled after this.”
An elderly woman who lives in one of the affected blocks told the BBC that she was not at home when the fire broke out, but was worried about her apartment because it was not insured.
“I’m very upset because now I don’t have a home to go to,” she said.
Although the cause of the fire that devastated the high-rise buildings is unknown, police say metal mesh and plastic sheets were found on the outside of the buildings. None of these materials are believed to be fire resistant.
Styrofoam was also found in the building’s windows. These materials could have accelerated the spread of the fire, according to police.
Some people expressed outrage at the magnitude of the fire and criticized the response.
“When there is a forest fire, they deploy helicopters and drop water bombs, but why are they not deployed here and how can they leave the buildings on fire?” asked Ms. Poon, another resident of Wang Fuk Court, in her 60s.
“The community is very close to the fire station and we thought the fire could be extinguished soon, but now it has spread. I am very disappointed,” she told SCMP.
Poon said he had not received instructions from the government on where to seek help.
The BBC spoke to some Tai Po residents who had brought supplies to the victims and affected residents, including dozens of blankets and heat packs.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said government agencies were helping residents affected by the fire.
When residents were asked their opinion about what happened, they stated that “the government is incompetent” and that they were “deeply heartbroken.”
“We don’t want to see more victims,” said one.
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