Firefighters in Hong Kong were still battling a massive blaze on Thursday after a deadly fire tore through a high-rise housing estate, killing at least 55 people and leaving hundreds missing.
The disaster, financial hub's worst fire in decades, erupted suddenly on Wednesday afternoon (local time) and rapidly consumed parts of the densely packed Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po.
Also read | Hong Kong fire: Death toll rises to 44, three arrested on manslaughter chargesWhat led to tragedy
The chain of events started around 2:50pm on Wednesday, when flames first broke out at the eight-building estate, home to about 2,000 units across 32-storey towers. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but the buildings were under repair and wrapped in bamboo scaffolding -- a traditional and flammable material still commonly used in Hong Kong.
Authorities had previously warned about the danger of bamboo scaffolding after another blaze spread rapidly last October. Despite government plans to phase it out in favour of fire-resistant steel, the Wang Fuk Court estate remained covered in bamboo.
By early Thursday, police had arrested three men, saying flammable materials left behind during maintenance work had allowed the blaze “to spread rapidly beyond control”.
Rapid spread across the estate
As flames ripped through the complex, AFP journalists arriving at daybreak on Thursday saw some flats still burning, although the fire had weakened overnight. Witnesses described loud cracking -- likely the bamboo collapsing -- and thick smoke billowing between the towers as fiery debris drifted in the air.
A 65-year-old resident surnamed Yuen, who has lived in the estate for more than four decades, said many neighbours were elderly and unaware of the danger.
"The windows were closed because of the maintenance, (some people) didn't know there was a fire and had to be told to evacuate via phone calls by neighbours," Yuen told AFP. "I'm devastated."
According to Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of fire service operations, strong winds and burning debris likely pushed the flames from one building to another.
"The temperature at the scene is very high and there are some floors where we have been unable to reach people who requested help, but we will keep trying," he said.
Rising casualties, mounting chaos
By Thursday morning, officials confirmed 55 deaths, including a 37-year-old firefighter who was discovered with burns after losing contact with colleagues for about half an hour, fire service director Andy Yeung said.
Earlier, Hong Kong leader John Lee said 279 people were unaccounted for, though firefighters later reached some of them. More than 900 residents took shelter in temporary facilities.
At those shelters, police officers struggled to determine an exact count of the missing as residents continued arriving late into the night to report missing family members.
The danger was still visible in the estate as charred scaffolding collapsed, flames burst from windows and a fiery orange glow illuminated nearby buildings. Residents were evacuated by coach, and local media reported that adjacent blocks were being cleared. Parts of a nearby highway were also shut down for the firefighting operation.
Voices from the ground
A Tai Po resident surnamed So, 57, stood watching the devastation. "There's nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely," So told AFP.
Another resident, an apartment owner in his 40s, said he could not bring himself to leave. "The fire is not yet under control and I dare not leave, and I don't know what I can do," he said.
Mainland reaction and a shaken city
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences, including to "the firefighter who died in the line of duty," and urged authorities to “make every effort to extinguish the fire and minimise casualties and losses,” state media reported.
John Lee said he was "deeply saddened" and assured that all government departments were assisting residents.
Hong Kong, once plagued by deadly fires in overcrowded districts, had seen major improvements in safety over recent decades. But the speed and scale of Wednesday’s blaze have revived concerns about building safety, construction practices and ageing infrastructure.