A massive blaze that swept through multiple high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong has left at least 44 people dead, with 45 others in critical condition. More than 270 individuals are still unaccounted for, and thousands of residents have taken refuge in evacuation shelters. Hong Kong police have arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the Tai Po apartment complex fire.
Breaking: At least 12 dead as Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze raised to maximum threat level 🙏🙏🙏 #hongkong #taipo pic.twitter.com/7uhxZYZ57K
— Brian Wong (@kaiyan188) November 26, 2025
Firefighters worked through the night to bring the blaze under control, but thick smoke and intense heat made it difficult for them to reach the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex. The fire erupted on Wednesday in the residential tower blocks in Hong Kong. The complex, located in the northern Tai Po district, consists of eight buildings containing roughly 2,000 apartments.
The fire erupted at about 2:51 pm (local time) on November 26 in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, igniting at Wang Fuk Court, a large residential complex. The court comprises eight towers, each standing 31 storeys tall.
According to Tai Po district councillor Mui Siu-fung, seven of the towers have been affected by the raging fire, the BBC reported. The 2021 government census indicates that roughly 4,600 people live in nearly 1,984 apartments. The fire in Hong Kong’s apartment complexes has been classified as a level-five alarm, the highest severity rating. It was initially declared a level-four fire when it broke out, but the alert was raised to level five about four hours later.
The Fire Services Department said on the morning of November 27 that the blazes in at least four of the buildings were “coming under control,” as authorities established emergency shelters for residents evacuated from the affected complexes.
According to the SCMP, the Tung Cheong Street Sports Centre, one of the designated shelters, had reached full capacity, prompting officials to redirect residents to other facilities. Hong Kong police have also set up a hotline, +852 1878 999, for inquiries about casualties.
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