83 dead and 250 missing in the worst fire in Hong Kong in the last thirty years

BarcelonaA massive fire has engulfed a residential complex in Hong Kong, the worst blaze in the British Overseas Territory in the last 100 years. The provisional death toll is 83, with 76 injured, and at least 250 people are still missing. The number of fatalities is feared to rise as firefighters continue working to evacuate those remaining inside the 2,000-unit complex, home to more than 4,600 residents.

Rescue teams are "facing very high temperatures and carefully ascending floor by floor, searching thoroughly and aiming to rescue people as quickly as possible," said Wong Ka Wing, deputy director of the emergency services. "We cannot rule out rescuing more injured people," he added. In the last few hours, firefighters have rescued more than 50 people trapped in the various 31-story towers.

The fire started on Wednesday at 2:50 p.m. local time (7:50 a.m. in Catalonia) when seven of the eight towers of the Wang Fuk Court complex, in the Tai Po district, were engulfed in flames. Although the building is still smoldering, the fire is practically under control, assured Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have launched an investigation and arrested three executives of the construction company for manslaughter. The company, Prestige Construction & Engineering, has not issued a statement regarding the incident. Experts appear to attribute the rapid spread of the flames to the polystyrene panels, green netting, and bamboo scaffolding surrounding the buildings, as the complex had been undergoing extensive renovations since July of last year. The apartment layout—with an average area of between 37 and 47 square meters, high population density, and towers built very close together—may have exacerbated the situation. According to Eric Chan, Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong Administration, the police have seized "suspiciously defective polyurethane panels" and have promised "patrols and regulatory efforts" to ensure the safety of materials used in all complexes undergoing renovation in Hong Kong. Around 100 buildings under construction will have to submit a report on their scaffolding networks next week for safety assessments. Chan also explained that the city will replace all bamboo scaffolding with steel structures, but did not provide further details on exactly how this will be done. Bamboo scaffolding is common in Hong Kong due to its lightness and strength, but in recent years it has generated growing safety concerns. According to local media, the government had been considering a phased reduction in its use for months. €1,110 for each affected family

To accommodate all the affected residents, the government has opened several pavilions and community centers, where dozens of families have already spent their first night. However, today it announced that it will provide approximately €1,110 to each affected family, has created a €33.3 million fund for residents, and has launched a public fundraising campaign. In addition, more than 1,000 hotel and hostel rooms have been made available for those affected to temporarily relocate, a social worker has been assigned to each household, and hundreds of doctors have been mobilized to offer psychological support to the towers' residents. The fire has been classified as a Level 5 fire, the highest category, and has become Hong Kong's deadliest in over 100 years. In 1918, a fire ravaged the Happy Valley racecourse, killing 614 people. In August 1962, a fire in the Sham Shui Po district resulted in 44 deaths, while in November 1996, a fire in the Garley building on Nathan Road in Kowloon, caused by welding work during interior renovations, resulted in 41 deaths and 81 injuries.

The fire has forced the suspension of classes at six schools in the district, and, simultaneously, several political parties have announced the suspension of their campaigns for the legislative elections, scheduled for December 7th, though a decision on whether the date will be postponed has not yet been made. The major K-pop awards ceremony, the MAMA Awards, has canceled its red carpet, although the rest of the events are expected to take place, and the daily light and music show, A Symphony of Lights, has been canceled for up to nine years.