HONG KONG — Police have arrested three senior executives from a construction firm on suspicion of manslaughter, as the city grapples with the aftermath of its deadliest fire in decades. The catastrophic blaze, which engulfed the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, has claimed at least 94 lives and left hundreds missing, turning a quiet suburban community into a scene of blackened devastation.
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| Firefighters work to extinguish a fire that broke out Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. / Credit: Chan Long Hei / AP |
A Night of Terror
The fire, upgraded to a Level 5 alarm the city’s highest severity rating erupted mid-afternoon on Wednesday. What began as a blaze on external scaffolding quickly transformed into an uncontrollable inferno, aided by strong winds and highly flammable construction materials.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene as the fire climbed the bamboo scaffolding "like a chimney," wrapping the 32-story towers in sheets of orange flame and choking smoke. By nightfall, the skyline of the Tai Po district was dominated by the glow of the burning towers.
"The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke," officials reported. As the skies darkened, live video captured red-hot embers raining down on the streets below, while firefighters on ladder trucks battled intense heat to aim water jets at the upper floors.
Allegations of Gross Negligence
As rescuers continue to scour the charred ruins, a criminal investigation has moved swiftly. Police confirmed the arrest of three men, aged 52 to 68, identified as the directors and a lead engineering consultant of the construction company responsible for ongoing renovations at the complex.
"We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent," said Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police.
Investigators made a chilling discovery at the scene: foam materials believed to be highly flammable were found installed outside windows near elevator lobbies. Authorities suspect this substandard material, combined with the bamboo scaffolding, allowed the fire to bypass firebreaks and spread with unusual speed across seven of the complex’s eight buildings.
The Human Cost
The tragedy has taken a severe toll on Hong Kong's emergency services. Fire Services Department Director Andy Yeung confirmed that a 37-year-old firefighter, a nine-year veteran of the force, was among the dead.
"All of our colleagues are deeply saddened by the loss of such a devoted comrade," Yeung said in a sombre news release.
The search for survivors continues under grim conditions.
Casualties: 94 confirmed dead, over 70 injured (including 11 firefighters).
Evacuations: Approximately 900 residents spent the night in temporary shelters.
The Missing: Contact has been lost with 279 people, sparking fears the death toll could rise significantly.
Lo Hiu-fung, a Tai Po District Council member, noted that the tragedy is compounded by the demographics of Wang Fuk Court, as many of the trapped residents are believed to be elderly.
"Blackened Ruins"
By Thursday morning, the flames on four of the towers were under control, but the devastation was absolute. The complex, home to nearly 4,800 people, now stands as a blackened ruin.
Video footage from Thursday showed rescuers, guided only by flashlights, navigating dark, smoke-filled corridors in a desperate search for life. "Our firefighting operation is almost complete," said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Services Operations. "What's next is the search and rescue operation."
A City in Mourning
The scale of the disaster has drawn immediate attention from the highest levels of government. Hong Kong leader John Lee expressed grave concern over the hundreds still missing. Meanwhile, Chinese leader Xi Jinping extended condolences to the fallen firefighter and the families of the victims.
This incident marks the darkest day for Hong Kong’s fire safety record since the 1996 Garley Building fire, which killed 41 people. As the smoke clears over Tai Po, the city is left demanding answers: how a routine renovation turned into a death trap for nearly a hundred of its citizens.