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President Xi Jinping has extended condolences over the Hong Kong building fire and urged all-out rescue efforts to minimize loss
The fire broke out at 2:51 pm on Nov 26 in the eight-building Wang Fuk Court estate, which was undergoing renovations and has nearly 2,000 units?
A memorial service was held by the HKSAR government on Saturday morning
The fire has claimed 159 lives
The Red Cross Society of China announced on Thursday a donation of 2 million yuan ($276,000) for emergency rescue and humanitarian assistance in response to the deadly fire that engulfed a residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district.
The organization said it will provide further support based on disaster relief needs.
The blaze broke out on Wednesday evening and has killed at least 55 people as of Thursday afternoon.
HONG KONG -- The death toll in a major fire that tore through a residential area in Hong Kong from Wednesday afternoon had risen to 65, said the Fire Services Department (FSD) on Thursday.
The FSD has dispatched a total of 304 fire engines and rescue vehicles, and used drones to monitor heat levels to prevent rekindling. The department has extinguished flames in four of the affected buildings and brought fire under control in the other three.
The residential area Wang Fuk Court consists of eight buildings, all of which were encased by green mesh and scaffolding due to a major renovation project. Three men responsible for the renovations were arrested earlier for suspected manslaughter, as the police investigation pointed to flammable materials covering the buildings as a possible cause for the rapid spread of fire.
The five-alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has been brought under control after a grueling 10-hour battle. The buildings' exterior is blackened, with thick smoke still billowing skyward as firefighters tackle sporadic outbreaks on higher floors. The death toll rose to 44 as of Thursday morning.
HONG KONG -- Three men have been arrested for suspected manslaughter in a fire that broke out in Wang Fuk Court, a residential area in Tai Po of Hong Kong, on Wednesday afternoon, the Hong Kong Police Force said at a press briefing on Thursday.
The fire had left 55 people dead by Thursday afternoon, the police said.
Police investigation suggested that the protective nets, waterproof canvas and plastic cloth covering the buildings might fall short of fireproof standards. The police also found that polyurethane foam was used to seal windows of elevator lobbies in an unaffected building in the residential area, and pointed to the flammable material as a possible cause for the rapid spread of fire.
The three men were executives of a construction company responsible for installing these materials for the renovation of the buildings. The suspects aged between 52 and 68 include two company directors and a project consultant whose gross negligence was believed to have caused heavy casualties.
President Xi Jinping expressed condolences on Wednesday for the victims of a major fire at a residential area in the Tai Po area of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for the firefighter who died in the line of duty.
Xi extended his sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for all-out efforts to put out the blaze and minimize the casualties and losses.
The huge blaze engulfed several residential buildings in a housing estate in Tai Po, New Territories, on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in significant casualties.
Following the incident, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, promptly learned of the information about the fire rescue efforts and the casualties.
He urged the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR to support the SAR government in making every effort to put out the fire, carry out search and rescue operations, treat the injured, and provide post-disaster support.
He also demanded that relevant departments and localities provide necessary assistance to the SAR government to strive to minimize the casualties and losses.
The SAR government activated its emergency rescue mechanism, and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR has established an emergency task force to maintain close communication with the SAR government and fully support the rescue efforts.
Rescue operations were underway.
The death toll continued to rise after the blaze broke out, with at least 13 dead and many others injured. Many residents were reported to have been trapped in their homes, with seven out of the total eight buildings on the residential estate on fire and a plume of smoke engulfing the sky and visible from far away. The fire continued to escalate into the night, with burning objects falling and explosions at the scene.
The blaze, which started at around 2:51 pm, was upgraded to a No 4 alarm at 3:34 pm, and it was further upgraded to a No 5 alarm, the second highest, at 6:22 pm.
Wang Fuk Court, currently under renovation, is a housing complex of eight buildings and nearly 2,000 residential units.
Nine people were found dead at the scene and four others were later confirmed dead after being sent to hospitals. Among the dead was 37-year-old firefighter Ho Wai-ho. Six people were still in serious condition. The injured were sent to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has extended his deepest condolences regarding the firefighter who lost his life while performing his duties and to the families of the deceased.
Lee said in a Facebook post that he had immediately activated an emergency monitoring and support center, received reports from the Security Bureau and the Fire Services Department, and instructed the emergency and fire departments to make every effort in firefighting and rescue work.
The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government sent 767 personnel to the scene.
The department said seven 32-story buildings, which all have bamboo scaffolding erected for renovation, were on fire. The conditions were extremely hazardous, with debris continuously falling and the number of distress calls increasing, which necessitated the escalation of the fire to a No 5 alarm, the department told media in an on-site briefing.
The Hong Kong government has opened five temporary shelters to accommodate affected residents, and a secondary school has also been opened to house evacuated residents. Several hundred people gathered at the temporary shelters, where bread, water and biscuits were being distributed.
Contact the writers at caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
HONG KONG -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said in the small hours on Thursday that a fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential area in Tai Po of Hong Kong, has been gradually brought under control after firefighters' tireless efforts.
Speaking at a press briefing, Lee said that the death toll from the fire has risen to 36, with 279 people still missing. Twenty-nine remained hospitalized, including seven in critical condition. Lee said he was deeply saddened by the situation.
Lee said that from the outside, three buildings now showed no visible flames, while four others displayed only sporadic fire spots.
Lee stressed that the HKSAR government will mobilize all resources to fully support the rescue operations. He has instructed departments and units to carry out comprehensive work, including extinguishing the fire, rescuing trapped residents, treating the injured, providing assistance and emotional support to families, and conducting a full investigation into the accident.
The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government was notified of the accident at around 2:51 pm local time on Wednesday. Due to the fierce blaze, the department raised the alert to No 5 alarm fire at 6:22 pm local time. Rescue operations were still ongoing.
Wang Fuk Court consists of eight residential buildings, and the fire once spread from one building to seven others.
The Hong Kong Hospital Authority has activated its Major Incident Control Center.
President Xi Jinping expressed condolences on Wednesday for the victims of a major fire at a residential area in the Tai Po area of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and for the firefighter who died in the line of duty.
Xi extended his sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for all-out efforts to put out the blaze and minimize the casualties and losses.
The huge blaze engulfed several residential buildings in a housing estate in Tai Po, New Territories, on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in significant casualties.
Following the incident, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, promptly learned of the information about the fire rescue efforts and the casualties.
He urged the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR to support the SAR government in making every effort to put out the fire, carry out search and rescue operations, treat the injured, and provide post-disaster support.
He also demanded that relevant departments and localities provide necessary assistance to the SAR government to strive to minimize the casualties and losses.
The SAR government activated its emergency rescue mechanism, and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR has established an emergency task force to maintain close communication with the SAR government and fully support the rescue efforts.
Rescue operations were underway.
The death toll continued to rise after the blaze broke out, with at least 36 killed and many others injured. Many residents were reported to have been trapped in their homes, with seven out of the total eight buildings on the residential estate on fire and a plume of smoke engulfing the sky and visible from far away. The fire continued to escalate into the night, with burning objects falling and explosions at the scene.
The blaze, which started at around 2:51 pm, was upgraded to a No 4 alarm at 3:34 pm, and it was further upgraded to a No 5 alarm, the second highest, at 6:22 pm.
Wang Fuk Court, currently under renovation, is a housing complex of eight buildings and nearly 2,000 residential units.
Nine people were found dead at the scene and four others were later confirmed dead after being sent to hospitals. Among the dead was 37-year-old firefighter Ho Wai-ho. Six people were still in serious condition. The injured were sent to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has extended his deepest condolences to the firefighter who lost his life while performing his duties and to the families of the deceased.
Lee said in a Facebook post that he had immediately activated an emergency monitoring and support center, received reports from the Security Bureau and the Fire Services Department, and instructed the emergency and fire departments to make every effort in firefighting and rescue work.
The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government sent 767 personnel to the scene.
The department said seven 32-story buildings, which all have bamboo scaffolding erected for renovation, were on fire. The conditions were extremely hazardous, with debris continuously falling and the number of distress calls increasing, which necessitated the escalation of the fire to a No 5 alarm, the department told media in an on-site briefing.
The Hong Kong government has opened five temporary shelters to accommodate affected residents, and a secondary school has also been opened to house evacuated residents. Several hundred people gathered at the temporary shelters, where bread, water and biscuits were being distributed.
Contact the writers at caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
