On Wednesday, November 26, a large fire ripped through Wang Fuk Court, a large apartment complex in the Taipo district of Taiwan, home to approximately 4,600 residents. The fire started at Wang Cheong House, one of the eight buildings in the Wang Fuk complex, and quickly spread along the scaffolding and netting that covered the building.
Firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames, but due to the tight, connected, funnel arrangement of the buildings, the fire quickly turned into a multi-story inferno. The fire alarm level quickly rose to level five, which is the highest classification, making this Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in 75 years.
Although most residents were able to evacuate, some were trapped in the complex, but rescue was impossible in the searing flames. In total, 159 deaths and at least 100 injuries were reported, and hundreds were displaced. The youngest identified victim was one year old, and the oldest was ninety-seven. Among the injuries and deaths was firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died on duty. Eleven other brave firefighters were injured during rescue and fire extinguishing attempts. Many CA students from Hong Kong grieved for the victims. “I live a few minutes from the fire, and although my family was not there during the fire, it pains me that I can’t provide help for the victims,” said one CA student.
After more than a full day of continuous firefighting efforts, the fire was finally extinguished at around 10:18 a.m. local time on Thursday. Initial assessments suggest the fire spread abnormally quickly due to the flammable styrofoam, which did not conform to fire-retardant standards, placed outside the building for renovation and construction purposes. Additionally, the entire sprinkler and fire alarm system of the 8 buildings was not functional, causing many to be unable to evacuate in time.
As Hong Kong processed the disaster and mourned for the dead, citizens are expecting a response from the government on corruption allegations exposed by this fire. Currently, anti-corruption authorities have arrested 15 people, most of them directors or representatives of the construction company, on charges of manslaughter.
Tensions rose further as university student Miles Kwan was taken into custody on suspicion of “seditious intent” after petitioning online for support of victims and transparency and accountability from officials involved in possible corruption related to this incident. Even in the face of human tragedy, Hong Kong’s political tensions and longstanding conflicts continue to surface.