TL;DR
- A devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong has left seven of eight tower blocks severely damaged, causing significant loss and panic within the community.
- The blaze, which raged for over 30 hours, trapped many residents, particularly the elderly, and highlighted concerns about inadequate fire alarms during renovations.
- Distrust towards the construction company and authorities is escalating, with some residents blaming them for the fire’s rapid spread and the subsequent disaster.
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.