SHAH ALAM - The catastrophic fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has continued to rage amid strong winds, spreading across multiple high-rise towers and leaving residents and volunteers struggling to contain the blaze.
Malaysian expat Nancy Tan, who lives far from the affected area, shared that despite the distance, she, like many others, has been deeply concerned and hopeful that the flames can be brought under control.
“The situation has been difficult because the weather is extremely windy, causing the fire to spread quickly. Although many are praying for rain, it has remained cloudy without any sign of rainfall.
“From what I understand, the buildings are still burning,” she told Sinar Daily when contacted.
Nancy, who has lived in Hong Kong for 20 years, spoke about the city’s resilience in facing disasters. She highlighted that while the entire city is saddened by recent events, the residents of the Tai Po area have been the hardest hit.
Across Hong Kong, people are doing what they can to assist, with donations steadily pouring in through various organisations.
“That is something I have always admired about Hong Kong; no matter the catastrophe, the city knows how to come together and recover. For now, the priority is to put out the fire, while volunteers and temporary shelters are being arranged for those who have lost their homes.
“The government is also working to ensure displaced residents have somewhere safe to stay as they try to manage the crisis both literally and figuratively,” she added.
Reflecting on the broader safety challenges of living in Hong Kong, Nancy highlighted the risks linked to the city’s high-rise construction practices.
Having lived there for nearly two decades, Nancy has frequently observed the city’s reliance on bamboo scaffolding, a method unique to Hong Kong and rarely seen in other parts of the world.
“There has been ongoing debate about its safety, especially since another fire occurred in Central not long before the Tai Po incident. The discussions have continued for years without concrete action, but perhaps this latest disaster will prompt change.
“Given the scarcity of land, Hong Kong’s densely packed high-rise towers make fire safety an ever-present concern,” she said.
The fire, which broke out on Nov 26, engulfed multiple 31-storey towers at Wang Fuk Court, marking Hong Kong’s deadliest high-rise blaze in decades. Flames spread quickly across bamboo scaffolding and plastic sheeting used during ongoing repair works.
Firemen battled the blaze overnight, with one losing his life, while authorities confirmed at least 44 deaths, hundreds missing and nearly 900 residents displaced.
Investigators reported that construction materials surrounding the buildings which included netting, plastic sheeting and packaging foam; were highly flammable and likely contributed to the fire’s rapid escalation, particularly amid strong winds.
Police arrested three men from the construction company on suspicion of gross negligence for allegedly using materials that did not meet fire safety standards.
The disaster has once again highlighted the dangers of Hong Kong’s extreme urban density and vertical living, with the city’s reliance on high-rise residential towers intensifying the scale and risk of such emergencies.