Officials said the blaze, which started on Wednesday, raged through the multistorey buildings for more than 24 hours before firefighters finally brought it under control. At least 76 people were injured, many in critical condition, raising fears that the Hong Kong fire death toll could rise further.
Criminal probe, 3 arrests over suspected safety violations
The Hong Kong government has launched a criminal investigation into the Tai Po residential complex fire. Police confirmed the arrest of three people, including the main contractor, on suspicion of violating building and fire safety regulations.
Investigators believe the use of non-approved, highly flammable renovation materials played a major role in the rapid spread of the blaze. Authorities are examining whether the contractor ignored Hong Kong’s fire safety norms for high-rise buildings while carrying out facade and scaffolding work.
The complex consists of eight residential towers, each 35 storeys high, with around 2,000 apartments. Officials described the incident as the most devastating fire in Hong Kong in 77 years.
Residents say blaze may have started from cigarette
The exact cause of the Hong Kong Tai Po fire has not yet been officially established. However, several residents suspect the blaze may have been triggered by a discarded cigarette.
Eyewitness accounts and visuals from the site show charred building facades, collapsed scaffolding and smoke still billowing hours after the main flames were doused. Outside a community hall, where survivors have been shifted, a woman was seen crying after losing her home in the fire. In another scene, a couple stood silently, staring at the blackened towers that once housed their lives.
More than 900 residents displaced by the fire have been moved to temporary shelters and community halls.
Renovation materials helped flames race up façade
Renovation work at the Tai Po housing complex had been underway since July 2024. According to investigators, flammable materials such as styrofoam panels and synthetic plastic netting installed around the external scaffolding acted as fuel, helping the fire shoot upward and sideways within minutes.
These non–fire-retardant materials enabled flames to travel vertically along the building façade and horizontally across connecting sections, rapidly engulfing flats and corridors. Many residents were trapped in their units, with escape routes blocked by intense heat and thick smoke.
Images from the ground show extensive destruction: twisted scaffolding, melted plastic netting and blackened concrete surfaces across multiple floors of all eight buildings.
Experts: Bamboo scaffolding not the main culprit
Initial social media posts blamed bamboo scaffolding, which is traditionally used in Hong Kong construction and renovation projects, for the severity of the fire. However, experts have pushed back against this assumption.
Architect Raffaella Andreji of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said bamboo itself is less likely to cause such a rapid inferno.
“Bamboo retains natural moisture and burns slowly compared to plastic netting and other synthetic materials. In the Tai Po fire, the netting and other engineering materials seem to be primarily responsible,” she noted.
Specialists say the dangerous combination of plastic netting, non–fire-retardant sheets, styrofoam and other synthetic construction products was critical in turning the Hong Kong renovation fire into a large-scale disaster.
Strong winds spread fire to adjacent building
The situation worsened when strong winds carried burning debris from the main block to an adjacent residential tower. With renovation work underway, many windows were sealed or kept closed, which delayed smoke detection and evacuation for residents inside.
Emergency teams faced extreme challenges. On several floors, temperatures were too high for firefighters to enter safely, forcing them to retreat and attempt rescues from other access points. This delay left dozens of people stranded inside their apartments as the fire spread.
Firefighter killed in line of duty
The Hong Kong Fire Services Department also suffered a tragic loss. A firefighter identified as Ho, who had served in the department for nine years and was stationed at Sha Tin Fire Station, died during the Tai Po fire rescue operation.
Ho and his team arrived at the scene at around 3:01 pm and began battling flames on the ground floor. Sometime after 3:30 pm, the crew lost contact with him. He was later found on the same floor with severe burn injuries to his face and was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Ho’s death has triggered an emotional outpouring across Hong Kong. His girlfriend wrote a heartbreaking tribute on social media: “My superhero returned to Krypton after completing his mission. You are my pride.” Thousands of residents posted condolences, calling him not just her superhero but a hero of the entire city.
One of Hong Kong’s worst fire disasters in decades
The Tai Po residential complex fire is now being described as Hong Kong’s worst blaze in 77 years, drawing comparisons with some of the deadliest fire tragedies in the city’s history.
On 27 February 1918, a massive fire at the Happy Valley Racecourse caused the collapse of the grandstand, killing more than 600 people. It remains the deadliest fire ever recorded in Hong Kong.
Three decades later, on 22 September 1948, an explosion at a Wing On warehouse on Des Voeux Road West triggered a huge blaze in the five-storey building. At least 176 people were killed and 69 injured, making it one of the city’s most destructive fire incidents.
That same year, another warehouse explosion reportedly resulted in 176 more deaths, plunging Hong Kong into deeper grief.
Subsequent decades also saw major fire disasters:
-
In 1962, a blaze in the Sham Shui Po area claimed around 44 lives.
-
In November 1996, the Garley Building fire in Kowloon killed 41 people and injured 81.
Renewed focus on high-rise fire safety norms
The Tai Po Hong Kong fire has reignited debate over fire safety norms in high-rise residential complexes, the regulation of renovation materials, and enforcement of building codes. Authorities are now under pressure to:
Improve evacuation planning, alarms and emergency access in high-density housing estates.
.jpg)
