What made the Hong Kong housing estate fire so deadly? Here’s what we know

A dramatic blaze engulfs high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, lighting up the night sky with intense flames and thick smoke, as firefighters work to control the inferno amidst the urban landscape.

A significant portion of the over 4,000 residents of the public housing estate in Tai Po, a neighborhood in the city, were aged 65 and older.

The precise cause of the fire remains unknown, but authorities have initiated a criminal investigation.

A devastating fire has swept through a large housing complex in Hong Kong, resulting in at least 83 fatalities, with many others still unaccounted for, marking the city's worst disaster in decades.

According to local media, at least two residential buildings continue to burn more than a day after the fires began, with rescuers stating that extremely high temperatures have impeded their efforts to reach those trapped inside.

A man was rescued from the 16th floor of one of the towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex on Thursday, as reported by public broadcaster RTHK, citing Hong Kong’s fire department.

There is growing concern about how such a fire could become so deadly in a city known for strong public safety records and construction standards, especially with the fire spreading from building to building.

Death toll in horrific Hong Kong fire keeps rising

A significant portion of the over 4,000 residents of the public housing estate in Tai Po, a neighborhood in the city, were aged 65 and older.

The precise cause of the fire remains unknown, but authorities have initiated a criminal investigation.

The complex was undergoing renovations and was covered in bamboo scaffolding and safety netting, a common construction method in Hong Kong and parts of mainland China.

Authorities are also examining whether flammable materials, such as polystyrene boards blocking windows in several apartments, may have exacerbated the fire.

First responders are concentrating their efforts on three of the seven affected blocks, where over 200 people are still missing.

Here’s what we know:

How did the blaze start?

The Hong Kong Fire Department reported that firefighters received a call about the fire shortly before 3 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET).

The fire originated at Wang Cheong House, a 32-story residential building and one of the eight tower blocks of the Wang Fuk Court complex, which was under renovation, according to Derek Armstrong Chan, the fire department’s deputy director of operations.

Upon arrival at the first building, the fire crews found the scaffolding and netting ablaze. They began efforts to control the fire, but it rapidly spread from building to building, resulting in multiple simultaneous multi-story fires.

At least seven of the eight tower blocks within the complex were impacted by the fire, forcing those who could escape to seek temporary shelter.

However, it soon became apparent that many residents were trapped inside their apartments, with firefighters unable to reach them due to the intense heat and falling debris.

By early Thursday morning local time, fires had been extinguished in three buildings, while four others still showed “scattered traces of fire,” according to Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee.

During a news conference on Thursday evening, Lee stated that fires across all buildings were “basically under control.”

It remains unclear how many of the missing individuals were trapped and how many could not be contacted amid the chaos of evacuating such a large complex.

Firefighters were aware of many trapped individuals, Chan said, but the extreme heat hindered rescue efforts.