The death toll from Hong Kong’s devastating high-rise fire has climbed to 128, after rescue teams recovered additional bodies from the scorched Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po. The blaze, which tore through eight 32-storey towers encased in bamboo scaffolding, is now the city’s deadliest fire in nearly 80 years.
The inferno began on Wednesday and spread with extraordinary speed, marking Hong Kong’s worst disaster of its kind since 1948, when a warehouse fire killed 176 people. Emergency crews continued to search the debris as families awaited confirmation of missing residents.
Authorities have arrested three officials from Prestige Construction, including two directors and an engineering consultant, on suspicion of manslaughter. Investigators say flammable foam boards blocking windows and combustible materials installed on the exterior walls enabled the flames to race vertically and between towers within minutes.
