On Wednesday (26 November 2025), a sudden fire broke out in several buildings of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po district of Hong Kong. The flames spread so fast that it engulfed 7 buildings. Despite several hours of efforts he could not be brought under control. According to the fire department, the deaths of 44 people have been confirmed so far. A large number of people are still missing and many injured are undergoing treatment in hospitals. About 900 people have been kept in temporary relief centers so that they can get a safe place.

Many videos related to the incident are becoming increasingly viral on social media platforms, in which the flames are seen growing dangerously. In a video, dozens of fire brigade vehicles are seen working continuously to extinguish the fire. Apart from this, in another video the fire is seen spreading rapidly from one building to another.

This fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district killed at least 13 people (including a fire man). It’s raging out of control through 7 of 8 towers of this public housing development that’s home to more than 4,000 people#HongKong pic.twitter.com/vZlvljZrclM

— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) November 26, 2025

The Tai Po fire in Hong Kong is so scary I hope the number of casualties is minimized..#hk #hongkong #fire #disaster #wangfukcourt #HongKongFire pic.twitter.com/aKOIjpTqED

— Sumit (@A_Sumishiv1423) November 26, 2025

Horrifying visuals from hong kong several buildings burnt more than dozen people burnt alive. Rescue teams are trying very hard. Wishing for everyone’s safety.#hongkong #hongkongfire #FireStorm #HongKongers pic.twitter.com/njZxB4zswF

— ɳ เ ر ɦ α (@itsnisha03) November 26, 2025

How did the fire break out?

According to BBC report, Wang Fuk Court has eight tower blocks, each of which is 31 storeys high, containing 1,984 apartments. Recently, repair work was going on on these towers and bamboo scaffolding was installed on the entire external structure. Initial investigation found that the fire spread rapidly from one building to another. In this sequence, 7 out of 8 buildings got caught in the fire. The bamboo was dry and due to this the fire spread very rapidly. According to firefighters, the temperature was so high that the burnt material was flying up and falling far and wide and due to this the fire kept spreading further.

fire incident

The fire in the Hong Kong building has been classified as Level 5, the second highest level on the scale of Category 1 to 5 in terms of severity. Earlier in the year 2008, there was a massive fire of Grade 5 category in Hong Kong, in which only 4 people lost their lives. In the year 1962 also, 44 ​​people had died due to a fire.

Also read: Massive fire in 7 multi-storey buildings in Hong Kong – 44 dead, 300 missing, flames visible several kilometers away

A fire broke out in some multi-storey buildings in Tai Po, Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon (November 26, 2025). Local media has quoted the Fire Services Department (FSD) as saying that many people are trapped in the massive fire. Many fire brigade vehicles are trying to extinguish the fire on the spot. The flames can be seen from several kilometers away.

A firefighter was also among the dead
A BBC report quoting Hong Kong officials said that the number of people who lost their lives in this incident has increased from 4 to 13. It was told in a press conference that 28 people were injured in the accident and a firefighter was also among those killed. The fire department said that contact with that firefighter was lost at around 3:30 local time. Later, when he was found at four o’clock, he was immediately taken to the hospital, but the doctors declared him dead.

Efforts to control the fire continue
In the pictures emerging from the incident site, thick smoke, strong flames, firefighters trying to extinguish the fire and people running in chaos are clearly visible. The FSD said they received a report of the fire at 2.51pm on Wednesday and declared the fire a No. 4 alarm fire (the second highest alarm in Hong Kong) at around 3.30pm. Fire extinguishing operation is going on.

Teams of firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire in Wang Fuk Court, an eight-block housing complex in the city’s Tai Po. In the live footage, a plume of smoke can be seen coming out of three buildings. Public broadcaster RTHK quoted the police as saying that many people were trapped inside. Based on initial reports, police had said that eight people were injured, out of which three were unconscious.

How did the fire spread?
Hong Kong media said that some people were badly burnt. According to media reports, the fire spread on bamboo scaffolding outside the complex in Tai Po district of the city. Tai Po is an area in the northern part of Hong Kong and is near the border of the main Chinese city Shenzhen. In view of the magnitude of the fire, the traffic department has closed the entire section of Tai Po Highway and the routes of buses are being changed.

(With IANS inputs)