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Introduction

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What we know so far:

• 94 people, including a firefighter, have died
• 76 injured including 11 firefighters
• 25 calls for help remain unresolved
• Full-scale rescue work is ongoing, with a woman, an elderly man and pets evacuated
• The eight residential blocks in the estate had been undergoing renovations since July 2024, sheathed in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh
• Authorities say highly flammable styrofoam material used in renovation works caused fire to spread rapidly
• Government has launched criminal investigations to find cause of blaze
• Three people – two directors and a consultant of the contractor behind the renovations – have been arrested for manslaughter
• Graftbusters launch corruption probe into repair works that had price tag of HK$330 million

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has ordered inspections of all public housing estates undergoing major renovations, with authorities launching a criminal investigation into the city’s deadliest fire in decades that claimed 94 lives at a Tai Po estate.

Rescue work continues as raging flames in all blocks have been brought under control in Wang Fuk Court. Some 56 people remain in hospital.

According to a preliminary investigation, officers discovered highly flammable styrofoam cloaking lift windows on every floor, which authorities said caused the fire to spread more rapidly within the blocks and ignite flats through the corridors. The mesh netting and sheeting used outside the buildings also did not meet fire safety standards, officials said on Wednesday night.

Three people – two directors and a consultant of the contractor responsible for the renovation of the buildings – have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. They allegedly used non-compliant materials in scaffolding nets and sealed windows with styrofoam, which sparked the tragedy as the highly flammable substances caused the fire to spread rapidly.

President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences on Wednesday evening and called for “all-out efforts” to minimise casualties and losses. After visiting the injured in hospital early on Thursday, city leader Lee vowed to investigate the fire and the scaffolding.

The fire was first reported at 2.51pm on Wednesday and soon grew into an inferno, with huge plumes of dark smoke billowing high into the sky, and the flames quickly spreading to seven of the eight blocks in the estate.

Initial footage showed bamboo scaffolding outside several flats rapidly bursting into spiralling flames, before being completely engulfed in multiple towering columns of fire. Burning sections of green scaffolding mesh fell to the ground.

Hotlines for help and donations:

Casualty enquiry hotline of police: 1878 999

Health Bureau’s Mental Health Support Hotline: 18111

Tai Po District Office help desk at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital for assistance and public enquiries: 2658 4040.

Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (donations): 8209 8122

Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (donations): 2772 2322

More from our coverage:

–Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades spurs outpouring of aid for victims