Hong Kong’s Deadliest Fire in Decades Kills 128 Amid Confirmed Alarm System Failure

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The death toll from Hong Kong's most devastating fire in decades has climbed to at least 128 people, with rescue teams continuing a desperate search for dozens still missing among the charred ruins of a massive residential complex. According to a comprehensive report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the catastrophe has been compounded by revelations from authorities on Friday that the fire alarm systems within the estate’s buildings were malfunctioning during the inferno, leaving residents to flee for their lives without automated warning.

As the smoke cleared on Friday morning, families were left scouring local hospitals and victim identification stations in a frantic bid to find their loved ones. The scale of the human tragedy remains fluid and grim, with approximately 200 people still listed as missing and 89 bodies recovered from the site yet to be identified.

The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday afternoon, transformed the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in the Tai Po district into a towering inferno, spreading with terrifying speed through seven of the complex's eight high-rise buildings.

The AFP report details that the fire burned for more than 40 hours before fire services declared it "largely extinguished" by Friday morning. Rescue personnel announced that they had completed their initial search of over 1,800 flats for survivors, a grueling operation conducted amid unstable structures and debris.

As the recovery phase begins, workers were seen bringing out bodies in black bags from the charred apartment blocks, with an AFP reporter on the scene counting four victims being removed in a single 15-minute window. Vehicles were subsequently observed unloading corpses at a mortuary in nearby Sha Tin, where grieving families began arriving in the afternoon to undertake the harrowing task of identification.

The human toll of the disaster is exemplified by the anguish of residents like a 38-year-old woman surnamed Wong, who spoke to AFP through tears at a hospital in Sha Tin. She has been searching desperately for her sister-in-law and her sister-in-law's twin since the fire broke out.

Wong recounted that the family had already waited at the Prince of Wales Hospital on the first day without receiving any news and had visited multiple facilities in a fruitless search. She noted that the last contact anyone had with the twins was on Wednesday afternoon, coinciding with the time the fire was first reported.

Eyewitness accounts provided to AFP describe a scene of rapid devastation. A 77-year-old resident surnamed Mui recalled the terrifying speed of the fire’s propagation, stating that one building went up in flames and the fire spread to two additional blocks in less than 15 minutes. Describing the intensity of the heat and the sight of the buildings "burning red," Mui expressed a lingering horror at the memory of the event.

As the city mourns, the focus of the government and law enforcement has shifted swiftly to the cause of the disaster and potential negligence. Authorities are actively investigating what sparked the fire, with initial findings pointing to the flammable materials used in a major renovation of the complex.

The Hong Kong government stated on Friday that it appeared the fire had ignited in protective netting on the lower floors of one of the towers. From there, foam boards and the city’s iconic bamboo scaffolding reportedly acted as fuel, contributing to the fire's rapid vertical and lateral spread across the densely packed estate.

Compounding the structural failures was a critical breakdown in safety systems. Fire services chief Andy Yeung revealed a damning discovery during a press conference, stating that the alarm systems in all eight blocks of the estate "were malfunctioning."

This failure meant that residents were forced to run door-to-door to alert their neighbors to the encroaching danger, a delay that likely contributed to the high loss of life. Yeung vowed that the authorities would take enforcement actions against the contractors responsible for maintaining the systems.

According to AFP, the legal fallout has already begun. The Hong Kong police announced that they had arrested three men on suspicion of negligently leaving foam packaging at the fire site, which may have played a role in the fire's ignition or intensity.

Furthermore, Hong Kong's anti-corruption body stated on Thursday that it had launched its own probe into the renovation work at the complex. Scrutiny is also falling on government oversight; the Labour Department told AFP on Friday that it had conducted 16 inspections of the maintenance work at Wang Fuk Court since July 2024. The most recent inspection occurred on November 20, just days before the fire, after which the department issued written warnings reminding the contractor to implement appropriate fire prevention measures.

City officials are now scrambling to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster. Hong Kong authorities have announced immediate plans to inspect all housing estates currently undergoing major renovation work. In the longer term, the government is looking into shifting construction sites away from traditional bamboo scaffolding toward metal alternatives. The city's security chief, Chris Tang, indicated that the comprehensive investigation into the fire's causes could take up to three to four weeks to complete.

This tragedy stands as Hong Kong's deadliest fire since 1948, when an explosion followed by a fire killed at least 135 people. While lethal blazes were once a regular scourge in the densely populated city, particularly in poorer neighborhoods, improved safety measures had made such mass-casualty events far less common in recent decades.

In response to the humanitarian crisis, the Hong Kong government has announced the establishment of a HK$300-million fund to assist the victims. City authorities have opened nine shelters and are organizing temporary accommodation and emergency funds for those who have lost their homes. The disaster has also impacted the city's political calendar, with activities around Hong Kong's legislative elections, originally scheduled for December 7, now suspended. 

Amid the devastation, a spontaneous and robust community effort has emerged to support firefighters and displaced residents. AFP reports that by Friday, this volunteer response had become a "well-oiled machine." Separate supply stations for clothes, food, and household goods were set up at a public square near the towers, alongside booths providing medical and psychological care. The outpouring of generosity was so immense that organizers eventually put out a call on social media stating that no further donations were needed, as the community had provided more than enough to meet the immediate needs of the survivors.