What began as a routine afternoon in Hong Kong’s bustling Tai Po district turned into one of the city’s darkest hours: A ferocious fire, sparked amid ongoing exterior renovations, ripped through the bamboo scaffolding encasing eight high-rise blocks at the Wang Fuk Court public housing estate, claiming at least 44 lives and leaving 279 residents unaccounted for as of November 27. The blaze—Hong Kong’s deadliest in three decades—engulfed the 4,600-resident complex like a tinderbox, fueled by dry weather (red fire danger alert in effect) and the highly flammable scaffolding sheathing the towers for wall repairs. Firefighters battled a five-alarm inferno for over 12 hours, classifying it as the second such major incident since the 1997 handover. Amid the grief, authorities confirmed the first wave of victim identities, including a heartbreaking link to American college hoops: Former Duke Blue Devils forward Jamal Washington, a 28-year-old ex-player turned financial analyst, perished while shielding his elderly neighbor from the flames. As rescuers sift through charred ruins and three construction workers face manslaughter charges, Xi Jinping’s condolences underscore a city’s resolve—but for families like Washington’s, the scars run eternal.
The Blaze’s Brutal Timeline: From Spark to Scorch
The fire erupted around 2:30 p.m. local time on November 26 in the Wang Fuk Court’s Block 3, a 30-story public housing tower in Tai Po’s New Territories—Hong Kong’s densely packed northern suburb, just miles from the mainland border. What started as a suspected electrical fault in the scaffolding (per initial police probes) ignited the bamboo framework like matchsticks, spreading vertically and horizontally to all eight blocks within minutes. Witnesses described “walls of fire” climbing 300 feet, trapping residents on upper floors as elevators failed and stairwells filled with toxic smoke.
• Initial Chaos: Over 700 firefighters from 40 engines responded, battling winds that fanned flames across the estate. By 5 p.m., four blocks were fully involved; residents leapt from balconies wrapped in wet blankets, while others screamed from windows. A firefighter, 37-year-old Ho Wai Ho (9-year veteran from Sha Tin station), became the first confirmed responder death, collapsing from smoke inhalation during a rooftop rescue.
• Nightmare Toll: By dawn November 27, the death count hit 44 (nine on-site, 35 in hospitals), with 279 missing—mostly elderly or disabled, per census data showing 40% of Wang Fuk’s 4,800 residents over 60. At least 45 survivors remain hospitalized, seven critically with burns and respiratory failure. Evacuations displaced 700 to temporary shelters like the nearby Sheng Kung Hui Yuen Chen Maun Chen Primary School, stocked with water and crackers.
• Arrests and Probe: Three men from a local construction firm were detained Wednesday night on manslaughter suspicion, as authorities question if fire-retardant sheeting on the scaffolding met codes. Hong Kong’s Buildings Department launched a full audit of similar sites; Chief Executive John Lee vowed “all-out efforts” to minimize losses, echoing Xi’s telegram of sympathy.
The estate, built in the 1980s, was midway through mandatory refurbishments—a common sight in space-starved Hong Kong, where high-rises house 90% of the population. Dry conditions (Hong Kong Observatory’s red alert) exacerbated the spread, turning routine maintenance into a deathtrap.
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