Beneath the podium at Kwong Fuk Estate in Tai Po, between rows of relief booths and supply tables stacked with bottled water and meal boxes, a group of children took a break from their volunteering duties. But they did not rest for long. As soon as they finished eating, they darted through the crowds to…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. What we know so far: 128 people, including a firefighter, confirmed dead 79 injured, including 12 firefighters Status of 200 people unclear The…
Leaving Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin on Thursday, unaware of the whereabouts of some of his relatives, a 76-year-old man surnamed Lam was left uncertain how to arrange the funeral of his older brother, who had just died in Hong Kong’s worst fire in seven decades. He arrived at the interdepartmental help desk…
Hong Kong’s insurance sector is expected to face record claims of HK$2.6 billion (US$334 million) related to the deadly fire in Tai Po, the worst in seven decades that claimed 75 lives and seriously damaged seven buildings, according to industry insiders. The fire would lead to a surge in insurance payments for personal and property…
Residents displaced by Hong Kong’s worst fire in seven decades have been left exhausted and anxious, fearing another sleepless night and uncertain about where they can shelter. A 76-year-old retiree, Chow, who lives in the Kwong Fuk public housing estate in Tai Po, spent all of Thursday sitting in the open area near Wang Fuk…
Scores of people, including infants and the elderly, remain unaccounted for a day after Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Families and friends are racing against time, issuing appeals at the scene and on social media to find their loved ones. The Post put together some of the…
Pride mingled with grief as the family and loved ones of the Hong Kong firefighter who died while battling Wednesday’s disastrous high-rise inferno shared their feelings of tragic loss. The girlfriend of the deceased firefighter, Ho Wai-ho, posted a heartfelt message on social media on Thursday, revealing her grief and longing for her boyfriend. “I…
As full-scale rescue work continued after Wednesday’s deadly fire engulfed a Tai Po estate in Hong Kong, attention fell on the fate of a missing baby, with a desperate grandfather looking for help in one area and a distraught mother crying outside a shelter. Winnie Hui had broken down upon hearing her baby had died…
Hong Kong labour authorities had warned the contractor working on Wang Fuk Court’s renovation about a fire hazard just a week before the housing estate in Tai Po was engulfed in the city’s worst blaze in decades, the Post has learned. In the aftermath of the devastating blaze that has so far claimed 83 lives,…
The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in seven decades climbed to more than 100 on Friday as the government announced a three-day official mourning period from Saturday for victims of the blaze. National and Hong Kong flags at all its buildings and facilities will fly at half-mast until Monday, with officials cancelling all…