At least 44 people have died and hundreds remain missing after a massive fire swept through Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court apartments, with bamboo scaffolding and unsafe renovation materials accelerating the deadly disaster.
WEBDESK – Imran Malik – November 27, 2025
A massive fire that tore through the Wang Fuk Court apartments in Tai Po has killed at least 44 people, with hundreds still missing, in what officials describe as Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades. Residents say the fire spread “within minutes,” trapping entire families as thick smoke and burning debris rained down from the building’s exterior.
Authorities say the blaze, which erupted Wednesday afternoon, is still not fully under control. Firefighters blame falling debris — including burning bamboo scaffolding surrounding the towers — for hampering rescue efforts. Police have arrested three men from the renovation company overseeing the site, calling their alleged negligence “gross” and “devastating.”
Residents Describe Chaos: “We Heard Explosions, Then Everything Went Dark”
Survivors report hearing a loud crackle from the exterior scaffolding before flames shot up the building walls. One resident said smoke filled the hallway “in seconds,” leaving neighbours screaming for help from windows and balconies. Some locals believe the fire may have started due to the careless smoking of a construction worker, though authorities have not confirmed the cause.
Officials say a task force is now investigating how the flames ignited and spread so quickly. Early findings reveal that the scaffolding, protective netting, tarpaulin, and even illegal styrofoam panels on window frames burned far more intensely than permitted materials.
How the Fire Spread So Fast
The blaze is believed to have started on the bamboo scaffolding, which wrapped all eight towers for ongoing renovations. Strong winds fanned the flames, pushing them into corridors and apartments. Seven towers were engulfed; firefighters only managed access to the eighth.
Fire Services Director Andy Yeung confirmed that styrofoam panels blocked crucial ventilation gaps, acting “like fuel” and accelerating the fire from flat to flat.
Why Hong Kong Still Uses Bamboo Scaffolding
Hong Kong remains one of the last places in the world to rely heavily on bamboo scaffolding, despite global bans and mounting safety concerns. About 80% of the city’s major construction and renovation projects still use bamboo.
The reasons are cultural and practical:
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Bamboo is lightweight, cheaper than steel, and can be customized for Hong Kong’s dense, uneven urban structures.
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The craft is considered an “art form” by local scaffolders, many of whom train for years to master the technique.
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Despite multiple deaths and industrial accidents, labor unions oppose its full removal, citing job losses for nearly 4,000 workers.
However, bamboo’s vulnerabilities — high combustibility, deterioration in rain, and inconsistent strength — have long worried safety experts. An internal government memo recently flagged these “intrinsic weaknesses,” prompting plans to shift at least half of public construction scaffolding to metal.
A Tragedy Fuelled by Tradition and Negligence
As Hong Kong continues to battle the blaze, questions are rapidly growing:
Why were flammable materials used?
Why was bamboo allowed on such a massive renovation site?
And could this catastrophic loss of life have been prevented?
Authorities say the investigation will take days — but for grieving families and a shaken city, answers can’t come soon enough.
