36 Dead As Massive Fire Engulfs Hong Kong Residential Towers, Dozens Hospitalised

Last Updated:November 26, 2025, 23:23 IST

Rescuers evacuated around 700 residents and moved them to temporary shelters.

Thick smoke and flames rise as a major fire engulfs several apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (AFP photo)

A major fire broke out at a high-rise housing complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, leaving as many as 36 people dead.

According to news agency AP, nine people were pronounced dead at the scene, while four others who were taken to the hospital were later confirmed dead. At least 15 more people were injured in the incident. So far, rescuers evacuated around 700 residents and moved them to temporary shelters.

The fire engulfed bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the complex, sending thick smoke and towering flames into the sky. Live footage showed firefighters using ladder trucks to douse the intense flames from above.

The blaze, reported in the midafternoon, was quickly upgraded to a No. 4 alarm, the second-highest level of severity, by the fire services department. Police said multiple reports had been received of people trapped inside the affected buildings.

AP reported, citing authorities, that the flames spread across several buildings within the housing complex. Footage from the scene showed at least five adjacent blocks on fire, with flames coming out of numerous apartment windows. Records indicate that the complex comprises eight residential towers with nearly 2,000 flats, housing about 4,800 people.

Tai Po is a suburban area in Hong Kong’s New Territories, near the border with Shenzhen, mainland China.

News world 36 Dead As Massive Fire Engulfs Hong Kong Residential Towers, Dozens Hospitalised

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