Updated: November 27, 2025
A devastating fire tore through seven high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, leaving 65 dead and more than 300 residents unaccounted for, authorities confirmed. About 700 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters following the disaster.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee confirmed the death toll and missing persons, emphasizing the scale of the tragedy in the densely populated housing complex. The blaze, which erupted mid-afternoon, rapidly spread along bamboo scaffolding and construction netting surrounding the buildings, sending thick smoke and towering flames into the sky.
Video footage from the scene captured the intensity of the fire, with multiple buildings ablaze simultaneously and flames shooting from numerous apartment windows as darkness fell. Firefighters used ladder trucks to douse the inferno with water, working through nightfall as the fire reached a level 5 alarm, the highest severity rating in Hong Kong.
The housing complex, comprising eight blocks and nearly 2,000 apartments, was home to around 4,800 residents. Fire Services Department Director Andy Yeung confirmed that among the deceased was one firefighter, while another was hospitalized for heat exhaustion. Police received numerous reports of residents trapped inside the burning buildings, though specifics of these cases have not been released.
Local officials reported that many trapped residents were elderly. Lo Hiu-fung, a Tai Po District Council member, told TVB that older residents were particularly vulnerable during the fire. Temporary shelters have been established for those left homeless by the disaster.
“I’ve given up thinking about my property,” said Wu, a Tai Po resident. “Watching it burn like that was really frustrating.”
Tai Po, located in Hong Kong’s New Territories near the Shenzhen border, is primarily a suburban area. Bamboo scaffolding, commonly used for construction and renovations in the city, contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. The Hong Kong government announced plans earlier this year to phase out bamboo scaffolding in public projects due to safety concerns.
Emergency services deployed 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances to the scene. Authorities continue search and rescue operations, while residents and officials grapple with the aftermath of one of the city’s deadliest residential fires in recent memory.
