Firefighting operations at the site of Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 have officially concluded, with authorities confirming the city’s deadliest blaze in decades and dozens still unaccounted for. A government spokesperson said crews ended active operations Friday morning as the death toll continued to rise.
According to Hong Kong Fire Services, the flames from the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 incident were “largely extinguished” by 10:18am (02:18 GMT), allowing responders to shift their focus from suppression to search and recovery efforts across the devastated complex.
The eight-tower Wang Fuk Court estate, where the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 tragedy unfolded, had been undergoing renovations and was covered in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh. These materials helped fuel the fire, which rapidly spread through the Tai Po residential area on Wednesday afternoon.
Police disclosed that three construction company officials were arrested in connection with the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 disaster. They are suspected of manslaughter for allegedly using unsafe, flammable materials—including foam boards that blocked critical escape routes.
On Friday morning, firefighters continued navigating the still-smouldering site of the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 catastrophe, forcing entry into hundreds of units to ensure no additional victims remained trapped within the seven affected buildings.
Reporters on the ground noted that the community surrounding the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 scene was overwhelmed with grief as firefighters searched apartment by apartment for residents who may have been unable to escape the smoke and heat.
Authorities said that as many as 279 people were reported missing in the early hours following the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 incident, though the figure has not been updated in more than a day, adding uncertainty to the true scale of the disaster.
Fire Services officials reported that 25 emergency calls remain unresolved in the aftermath of the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 blaze, with several new distress reports coming in overnight, prompting crews to prioritise renewed search operations.
Local resident Jacky Kwok said the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 tragedy was “a terrible disaster that no one wanted to happen,” praising the firefighters for their relentless efforts to locate survivors under extremely dangerous conditions.
Rescuers battling the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 inferno faced collapsing scaffolding, intense flames, and thick smoke as they reached for residents trapped on the upper floors, fighting against structural instability and zero-visibility conditions.
On Thursday, a heartbroken mother searching outside a shelter displayed her daughter’s graduation photo, hoping for news amid the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 devastation. Authorities said eight shelters were housing about 900 displaced residents.
Officials confirmed that most victims of the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 tragedy were found in two towers, although survivors were rescued from several buildings. The Hospital Authority reported the death toll climbed to 94 early Friday.
Among the victims of the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 disaster were two Indonesian domestic workers, the Indonesian consulate said. Hong Kong is home to roughly 368,000 domestic workers, many of them women from low-income Asian nations.
The Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 blaze is now the city’s deadliest since 1948, prompting comparisons to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which killed 72 people. The scale of the tragedy has shocked residents and emergency responders alike.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced a HK$300 million ($39m) relief fund for residents affected by the Hong Kong tower fire kills 94 catastrophe, while several major Chinese companies pledged donations to assist survivors and families of the victims.
