At least 13 people were killed, and dozens were injured after a massive inferno engulfed a residential complex in Hong Kong, China.
Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department said reports of a fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po began coming in at 2:51 p.m. The severity of the fire increased rapidly, designated a No. 3 alarm at 3:02 p.m., then No. 4 alarm at 3:34 p.m., the third and second most severe rating, respectively. It was finally upgraded to a No. 5 alarm, the most severe rating, at 6:22 p.m. The fire department reported 13 dead — nine at the scene and four in the hospital — and 28 injured, with six of those in critical condition, according to the South China Morning Post.
“Residents nearby are advised to stay indoors, close their doors and windows, and stay calm. Members of the public are also advised to avoid going to the area affected by the fire,” an alert from the Fire Services Department said.
One of the dead was identified as fireman Ho Wai-ho, 37, who was mourned by the Director of Fire Services, Andy Yeung.
“Having been a member of the Fire Services Department for about nine years, Mr Ho’s performance was valiant. I am profoundly grieved at the loss of this dedicated and gallant fireman. All of our colleagues are deeply saddened by the loss of such a devoted comrade. On behalf of all our colleagues, I have offered the deepest condolences to his family,” he said in a statement.
The government opened up several temporary shelters for those affected by the fire. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his personal condolences, and political parties suspended campaigning out of respect for the victims.
A total of 128 fire engines, 57 ambulances, 767 firefighters, and 400 police officers were reported at the scene, according to the South China Morning Post.
Zoie Cheng Kam-shan, business development director of the Hong Kong Pet Club, told the outlet that it deployed two pet ambulances to help retrieve pets trapped inside the complex.
“We estimate that every block has more than 10 animals of different species,” she said. “We have received over 70 reports but are receiving more. So I estimate that there will be more than 100.”
Hours into the fire, residents and activists began sounding the alarm on issues that led to, or exacerbated the fire. Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, told the outlet that the bamboo scaffolding, a cheap but widespread material known to be highly flammable, had already been known to exacerbate fires throughout China, being linked to fires resulting in at least five casualties this year alone.
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Residents told the outlet that the fire alarm hadn’t rung to alert them to the flame. Others complained of lax safety precautions by construction workers.
“I always see construction workers smoking, and they litter cigarette butts everywhere,” Kwong Pui-lun, a former chairman of Wang Fuk Court’s owners’ corporation and living in Wang Tao House, told the outlet, adding that the issue had been raised with the management company but that the issue had been ignored.