Hong Kong's deadliest blaze in decades kills at least 94, scores missing

HONG KONG: Families of the scores still missing after Hong Kong’s worst blaze in decades scoured hospitals on Friday as firefighters searched the last of the torched housing estate’s flats, with the death toll now at least 94.

The flames took hold in Wang Fuk Court in northern Tai Po district on Wednesday afternoon and spread quickly among its eight buildings, turning into an inferno that burned for over 36 hours.

Authorities have begun investigating what sparked the fire, including examining the presence of the bamboo scaffolding and plastic mesh wrapped around the structures as part of a major renovation.

On Friday workers carried black body bags out of the charred apartment blocks, with an AFP reporter counting four in the space of a 15-minute period.

Vehicles unloaded multiple bodies at a mortuary in nearby Sha Tin, another reporter saw, with families expected to arrive in the afternoon for identification.

Many people remain missing, although the exact number has not been updated since early Thursday.

At a hospital in Sha Tin, a woman surnamed Wong was looking for her sister-in-law and her sister-in-law’s twin sister, with no luck.

"We still cannot find them. So we are going to different hospitals to ask if they have good news," the 38-year-old told AFP in tears.

"We were already waiting at the Prince of Wales Hospital on the first day but there was no news. We also came here yesterday."

On Friday authorities said more than 50 people were still hospitalised, with 12 in critical and 28 in serious condition.

The last contact anyone had with the twins was on Wednesday, said Wong, less than an hour before the fire was reported.

"One building went up in flames and it spread to two more blocks in less than 15 minutes," a 77-year-old eyewitness surnamed Mui told AFP.

"It was very quick. It was burning red, I shudder to think about it."

The fire service said earlier it would conduct search and rescue responses to 25 remaining requests for help and break into all flats on the estate by 9 am (0100 GMT) Friday.

Small wisps of white smoke were still trailing out of the estate, with authorities saying in the morning the fire had been contained to four of the sprawling complex’s almost 2,000 units.

Investigations begun

The fire was Hong Kong’s deadliest since 1948, when an explosion followed by a fire killed at least 135 people.

Deadly fires were once a regular scourge in densely populated Hong Kong, especially in poorer neighbourhoods, but improved safety measures have made them far less common.

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption body said on Thursday it had launched a probe into renovation work at the complex, hours after police said they had arrested three men on suspicion of negligently leaving foam packaging at the fire site.

Residents of the estate told AFP that they did not hear any fire alarms and had to go door-to-door to alert neighbours to the danger.

Hong Kong authorities will immediately inspect all housing estates undergoing major work following the disaster, city leader Lee said Thursday, with the city’s number-two official Eric Chan adding it was "imperative to expedite the full transition to metal scaffolding".

Of the 94 people confirmed dead as of 6:00am local time (22:00 GMT Thursday), one was a 37-year-old firefighter and two were Indonesians working as migrant domestic workers.

Hong Kong’s government said it was setting up a HK$300 million ($38.5 million) fund to help victims of the fire.

City authorities said they had opened nine shelters and were organising temporary accommodation and emergency funds for those who had lost their homes.

Activities around Hong Kong’s legislative elections, set to take place on December 7, have been suspended.