Hong Kong residents react as deadly fires sweep through residential areas

“The heat rises as you get closer, you can feel it, and the smoke is really heavy.”

Student Thomas Liu was one of many people drawn to the scene of the deadly fire that destroyed much of the eight-block residential area of ​​Wang Fook Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district.

At least 36 people have died so far in Wednesday’s devastating fires, with hundreds still missing and the number expected to rise. The reason is unclear.

“It was a disaster,” Thomas said of the fire, telling the BBC he saw a body being carried away.

Tai Po District Councilor Mei Siu-feng told the BBC Chinese website: “Many people sent us WhatsApp messages or called us, saying that they still had relatives inside or could not find them.”

As the fire spread, more than a thousand others were forced to evacuate the estate, some heading to reception centers set up for them. Police also evacuated people from nearby buildings.

The fire is gradually being brought under control, but officials say they don’t know when it will be completely extinguished. Flames could be seen shooting out of individual apartments as many people watched in silence.

One woman said her friends lived in the building and she was waiting to see if they could escape.

Harry Cheung, who has lived in Tower 2 of Wang Fook Court for more than 40 years, told Reuters he heard “very loud noises” and saw a fire in a nearby block.

“I immediately went back to pack my things,” the 66-year-old resident said.

“I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I might not be able to get home.”

A woman in her sixties, surnamed Jin, who lives in nearby Kwong Fuk Estate, told the South China Morning Post that several of her friends who lived in Wang Fook Court were missing, but not all of them.

A friend, who takes a nap every day, may have been sleeping when the fire broke out at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT), Ms Kam said, adding that the woman’s daughters had not yet been able to contact her.

Another resident, 65-year-old Jason Kong, told Reuters that a neighbor called him to say he was still trapped inside a tower block.

“I’m so sad. There are so many neighbors and friends. I don’t know what’s going on. Look, all the apartments are burning. I don’t know what to do. I hope the government can help us get settled.”

An elderly woman who lives in the affected block told the BBC she was not home when the fire broke out but she was worried about her flat because it was not insured.

“I’m homeless now and I’m very depressed,” she said.

While the cause of the fire that engulfed several high-rise buildings is not yet known, the flames are believed to have spread quickly through bamboo scaffolding covering the buildings being renovated.

Some expressed anger that such a massive fire could occur and criticized the government’s response.

“When a wildfire breaks out, they will dispatch helicopters and drop water bombs, but why are there no such arrangements, and how can other buildings be burned down?” asked Ms. Pan, another resident of Wang Fook Court in her 60s.

She told the South China Morning Post: “This community is very close to the fire station. We thought the fire would be put out quickly, but now the fire has spread. I am very disappointed.”

Ms. Pan noted that the government had given her no instructions on where to seek help.

The BBC spoke to some Tai Po residents who brought supplies for victims and affected residents, including dozens of blankets and heat bags.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said government departments were assisting residents affected by the fire.

When asked how they felt about the fires, residents said “the government was incompetent” and they were “very sad”.

“We don’t want to see more casualties,” one person said.