Nothing left: Devastated residents of Hong Kong high-rise buildings after fire

As firefighters continue battling massive flames still tearing through a Hong Kong apartment complex, distraught residents look on in shock and despair, unsure of what their future holds. The city’s deadliest fire in more than six decades has already claimed at least 44 lives and left nearly 300 people missing.

Authorities stated that the fire, still burning as of Thursday afternoon, may have spread rapidly due to unsafe bamboo scaffolding and foam materials used during ongoing maintenance work on the building.

The bamboo scaffolding is a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but has been subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.

Police attributed the cause to a "grossly negligent" construction firm using unsafe materials, a point that has drawn increased scrutiny from residents and officials.

The Wang Fuk Court estate, built in the 1980s and home to around 4,600 residents, is notable for its large elderly population, with nearly 40 per cent aged 65 or above, the BBC reported citing a 2021 census. The tightly packed complex has 2,000 apartments in eight blocks.

Many elderly residents have lived in subsidised public housing for decades, further deepening the sense of loss experienced by the community in the wake of the blaze.

A resident, identified as Wan, who has lived in the apartment complex for over 20 years, spoke to news agency Reuters describing the extent of her loss:

"All of our belongings were in this apartment, and now that it has all burned like this, what’s left? There’s nothing left. What are we supposed to do?" she said.

Wan’s daughter, Wendy, lost three pet parrots in the fire.

Appealing for assistance, Wan said: "What we hope most is that the government will help us solve this problem. We don’t have any other requests - just hope that the government can help us resolve it."

Kiko Ma, a 33-year-old resident who often visits from Canada, highlighted concerns raised by renovation practices at Wang Fuk Court.

For more than a year, her apartment’s windows were sealed due to renovations, and she recounted finding cigarette butts near windows, suspected to be left by construction workers.

"People kept asking what would happen if there was a fire. Everyone was very worried about this," she told the BBC while underlining that fire alarms had sometimes been turned off during the construction period.

"This was preventable. This was not an accident. A lot of people did not do their duties," she added.

A 52-year-old woman identified with her surname clutched her daughter’s graduation photo outside a shelter as she searched for her missing family. “My daughter and her father are still not out yet they didn’t have water to save our building,” she told Reuters news agency.

Chu, a 70-year-old long-time resident, said she had been unable to reach friends who lived in the neighbouring block. After spending Wednesday night at a friend’s home, she returned to find her building still burning.

“We don’t know what to do,” she said.

According to the police, three men from the construction company, two directors and one engineering consultant, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the raging inferno.

The current death toll of 44 equals the 1962 Sham Shui Po fire, also one of the city’s deadliest, and surpasses the 1996 Garley Building fire in Kowloon.

Hong Kong's deadliest blaze on record happened in 1948 following a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse containing 'dangerous goods'.

- Ends

(With Reuters inputs)

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