Survivors cling to each other as debris falls from smouldering Hong Kong buildings

There is a thickness to the air outside Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.

The smoke catches in your throat and the emotion catches you off guard.

Seven of the eight tower blocks that make up this complex have been all but blackened. And through the shells that used to be windows you can only imagine the horror and the panic that must have played out inside, the screams that went unanswered.

More than 30 hours after the blaze began here there was still a sense that it is far from under control. At various points during the day the flames sprung up from different windows, as if the fire has found fresh tinder.

Debris falls from the buildings periodically, ash still floats in the air.

There is no doubt the community here is reeling. Along the surrounding streets hundreds came out to look on in horror, mostly in a stunned sort of silence.

Occasionally the air was pierced with the terrible cries of relatives, who had received the news they were dreading.

But much of the grief was quiet and held close, an arm around the shoulders or a quiet embrace.

Among the survivors is the Lam family, three generations of which had been living in the building for 40 years. They have lost their home and haven’t heard from their neighbours.

“The alarm was all off because of the renovation of the outside. So there is no alarm to let all the people know. Many old people, elderly people, they were all having an afternoon sleep. So nobody knew,” Ms Lam, whose father survived the fire, said.

“Once they know the fire has already burned down everything and they cannot escape, they were all trapped in the house. This is a disaster actually.”

Another survivor said: “I feel sadness and hopeless and don’t know what [I’m] going to do. I don’t know. Cannot describe. So sad.”

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated cities, fire in places like this has a significantly more deadly potential.

And it also means many are displaced. Over 4,500 lived in this complex alone and are in need of emergency shelter.

The government has offered temporary accommodation to many, but the community is filling the gaps.

Armies of volunteers handed out food, water, blankets and clothes, including to those who had opted to sleep on the floor of a nearby shopping area.

One man, who wanted to sleep on the floor close to his home, said he doesn’t feel supported by the government.

There is a thin line between grief and anger, and there’s a feeling it’s narrowing here.

Many fingers have pointed towards the construction company running extensive renovations in the complex.

A netted mesh, bamboo scaffolding and polystyrene that may have been used as part of the works have all been cited as potentially speeding the spread.

Three construction bosses have already been arrested.

But there is a sense that distrust of the authorities more broadly runs deep.

“It is very serious and people are starting to feel furious about the construction company and the construction materials,” one woman said.

“There are so many layers of anger among the people. People feel that every party should take responsibility.”

Everyone we spoke to wanted to wear a mask to avoid being targeted, with volunteers actively encouraging the masks, and many hinted that the system shoulders its share of responsibility for what happened.

This fire is already the worst disaster in the modern history of Hong Kong; many of the victims are elderly and many will struggle to rebuild.

There will many days of pain to come, but many days of questions too.