A major fire at a government-subsidised housing complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po District has killed at least 36 people, with one firefighter also confirmed dead, and authorities reporting they have been unable to contact 279 residents as of late November 26, 2025. The blaze at Wang Fuk Court estate prompted the city's highest emergency response level and the largest firefighting deployment in recent memory.
The Fire Services Department escalated the alarm to No. 5—the maximum level—after flames spread across multiple towers of the eight-block complex. At least 29 people were hospitalized, with seven in critical condition, according to Hong Kong officials. Authorities have cautioned that the death toll may rise as search and rescue operations continue.
Rapid spread across scaffolding-clad towers
The fire was reported at 14:51 local time on November 26. Within three and a half hours, the Fire Services Department had escalated the alarm from No. 1 to No. 5, declared at 18:22. At the height of the blaze, at least seven of Wang Fuk Court's eight residential towers were burning.
Wang Fuk Court comprises approximately 2,000 units across its eight blocks. At the time of the fire, exterior wall repairs were underway, with bamboo scaffolding and green protective mesh covering the buildings. According to initial reports from the scene, flames ignited externally and spread rapidly across the scaffolding and mesh covering multiple facades. The cause of the ignition remains under investigation, with authorities declining to confirm how the fire started.
Thick smoke and intense heat hampered firefighting efforts, particularly access to upper floors. Residents described seeing sections of burning scaffolding and mesh falling from the towers as emergency crews worked through the evening and into the night.
Unprecedented emergency response
The Fire Services Department mobilized approximately 767 firefighters, supported by 128 fire engines and 57 ambulances. The scale of the response reflects both the physical challenge of fighting fires across multiple high-rise towers simultaneously and the complexity of coordinating evacuations and search operations across a densely populated estate.
Firefighters deployed high-rise ladders and external water jets to combat flames on upper floors. Operations continued through the night as crews worked to extinguish remaining hot spots and conduct floor-by-floor searches for residents who may have been unable to evacuate. Similar large-scale emergency responses have been seen across the Asia-Pacific region in recent months, from military airlift operations during Thailand's record floods to sustained search efforts following Indonesia's deadly Central Java landslide.
Police established road closures around the estate and suspended public transport services in the immediate area to facilitate firefighting and rescue operations. The Education Bureau announced that at least six schools would close due to the fire and associated traffic disruptions.
Members are reading: Analysis of the 279 uncontactable residents figure and the cascading humanitarian challenges facing displaced families and search coordinators.
Deadliest fire in nearly three decades
The Wang Fuk Court fire is Hong Kong's deadliest since the 1996 Garley Building blaze, which killed 41 people. A No. 5 alarm declaration is rare; since the 1997 handover, Hong Kong authorities have raised the alarm to this level only a handful of times, typically for the most severe incidents requiring citywide resource mobilization.
Bamboo scaffolding remains widely used across Hong Kong's construction and maintenance sectors, prized for its flexibility and ease of assembly on irregular building facades. In 2025, the government began phasing out bamboo scaffolding for certain public works projects, transitioning toward metal frame systems in part due to safety considerations. Investigators have not yet determined the fire's cause or confirmed whether the scaffolding played a role beyond serving as a conduit for external flame spread.
Search operations continue as officials warn of rising toll
As of the evening of November 26, firefighters continued methodical searches of the damaged towers. Officials have emphasized that operations may extend for days given the scale of the complex, the extent of fire damage, and the need to ensure structural safety before crews can access all areas.
The 279 uncontactable residents represent the largest variable in the final casualty count. Authorities have not provided a timeline for when they expect to account for all residents, underscoring the complexity of reconciling evacuation records, missing persons reports, and physical search results across eight towers housing approximately 2,000 units.
For families gathered at temporary shelters and those monitoring the casualty hotline, the coming hours and days will bring either relief or confirmation of loss. The warning from officials that fatalities could rise reflects the sobering arithmetic of a confirmed death toll of 36 against 279 people authorities have been unable to reach.
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