Still burning: What we know about Hong Kong’s deadly high-rise fire

HONG KONG – A devastating

fire tore through a Hong Kong high-rise residential complex,

killing dozens of people and leaving hundreds missing.

The inferno – the financial hub’s worst in decades – sent shock waves through the city, which is home to some of the world’s most densely populated and tallest residential blocks.

Here is what we know about the fire and its possible cause:

Inferno

Intense flames burned on bamboo scaffolding on several apartment blocks of Wang Fuk Court, a residential complex undergoing repairs in the northern district of Tai Po, on Nov 26.

The blaze rapidly engulfed several towers at the housing estate, which includes eight 31-storey buildings with a combined total of 1,984 units.

Firefighters, one of whom was killed, battled the inferno overnight, and it was still burning in spots early on Nov 27.

Altogether, more than 140 fire engines, at least 800 firefighters, and about 60 ambulances attended the scene.

Hong Kong’s government said at least 65 people have died, and the authorities reported that hundreds remain missing.

Around 900 residents have been moved to temporary shelters, and dozens are in hospital, some in critical condition.

The complex

The Wang Fuk Court complex is estimated to house nearly 5,000 people.

Hong Kong estates are densely populated, with multi-generational families often living inside one small apartment.

The complex is located in Tai Po, about 30km from the central business district. The district, home to roughly 300,000 residents, includes housing for various income levels, as well as parks and shopping malls.

Wang Fuk Court was built as government-subsidised housing in the 1980s and was undergoing a lengthy renovation.

Tightly packed city

Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world, making urban disasters a significant risk.

Its 7.5 million residents are squeezed into islands covered with steep hills. The city’s population density exceeds 7,100 people per sq km, on a par with other packed metropolises like Tokyo.

Vertical living

The city is famous for its dramatic skyline of skyscrapers set against a picturesque harbour, many of which house residents as well as banks and commercial offices.

Its construction boom in past decades has been largely driven by residential towers built to accommodate its growing population.

Much of the new residential development in recent decades has been in the New Territories, the area where Tai Po is located.

Hong Kong has 569 buildings above 150m, the most in the world, according to a tracker from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

Bamboo, foam, wind

The source of the fire is not yet clear, but investigators are already probing the installation of flammable materials during the construction of the buildings as a potential factor in the rapid escalation of the blaze.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security Chris Tang said “protective netting, waterproof cloth and plastic sheeting on the exterior of the building burned far more intensely and spread much faster than compliant materials normally would”.

He called the situation “unusual”.

Police have arrested three men from the construction company involved, accusing the company of gross negligence leading to the accident and causing the fire “to spread rapidly beyond control”.

The external walls of the soaring residential towers were covered in bamboo scaffolding and wrapped in netting and plastic sheeting.

Police said that, after preliminary investigations, they suspect many of those materials did not meet fire safety standards.

Bamboo scaffolding is very common in construction in Hong Kong and has a history of over a century in the city.

Given Hong Kong’s high density and spatial constraints among buildings, bamboo scaffolding provides a more agile and efficient option for workers to conduct external wall installation or other works. The cost is also significantly lower than that of metal.

The government has recently moved to phase in the use of more metal scaffolds, which are prevalent worldwide, citing safety concerns about bamboo's high combustibility and tendency to deteriorate over time.

Investigators also found packaging foam at the site, which they said was highly flammable and could have contributed to the quick progression of the blaze.

Breezes of around 14kmh were recorded in the area around the time the fire started on the afternoon on Nov 26.

Government response so far

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said in a statement that he had ordered an all-out effort across government departments to put out the fire and rescue those trapped. Both he and Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and injured.

Mr Xi also called on other local governments to assist Hong Kong. AFP, BLOOMBERG