The Hong Kong fire has now entered its second day of burning, as Chinese citizens demand answers for the cause and emergency responders attempt to find 279 missing people.
Wang Fuk Court is a massive 2,000-unit residential complex made up of eight blocks in total. It was under construction at the time of the fire, destroying seven blocks before being “contained” in the final three. 55 people have died, with 45 hospitalised with “critical” injuries.
It is heartbreaking to see Hong Kong experiencing a major housing estate fire affecting more than 4,600 residents. It has become global news, and even after 13 hours, it is still not under control. Sadly, 36 people have lost their lives, including a firefighter.
Please keep them… pic.twitter.com/nY4SmkzJ67— Ying Tan (@YingTanForNY) November 26, 2025
“All our belongings were in this apartment, and now that it has all burned like this, what’s left,” one resident of the building complex said. “I even feel like dying. Seeing it like this and being unable to help – what can we do?”
In an announcement on the Chinese government website, President Xi Jinping ” expressed his condolences to the victims and firefighters who died,” whilst calling for an “all-out” effort to minimise casualties and losses.
As brave emergency workers continue to fight the blaze, here’s what we know about the cause of the Hong Kong fire and the part bamboo scaffolding may have played.
Police have cited ‘gross negligence’ as the cause of the Hong Kong fire
Though an investigation is in the process of being carried out, Chinese officials have arrested three men, two directors and one engineering consultant, from the construction company working on the apartment block.
“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent, alleged.
Credit: Vernon Yuen/Nexpher via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Also, the government found the registered contractor for the building complex to be Prestige Construction and Engineering Company. They are currently looking into whether proper protections were put in place, including fire-retardant netting and screens on scaffolding.
“If any violations of the requirements of the Buildings Ordinance are found, the case will be referred to the BD [Buildings Department] for handling in accordance with the ordinance, including prosecution or disciplinary proceedings,” the government said in a statement.
There has also been criticism of the bamboo scaffolding
Though the proverbial spark that caused the Hong Kong fire is still unknown, the police have said that bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh may have helped it to spread quickly across the apartments. China is one of the few countries that still uses bamboo scaffolding, a practice used for centuries due to it being lighter and cheaper than metal.
Fire safety expert Professor Guan Yeoh described the material as “highly flammable” in an interview with ABC.
“These materials are highly flammable,” he said. “It just adds to the fire spread that we see in the images you’ve shown just a while ago. Bamboo scaffolding is just like any plant material. They are also highly flammable. So with the combination of the bamboo and the plastic sheeting and the styrofoam, you’re just waiting for a disaster to happen.”
Xinyan Huang, associate professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, also noted how China’s “dry season” meant the chances of ignition were “very high.” He also said that the vertical arrangement meant the fire was “spreading up without any resistance.”
This is a developing story, and more information is expected to follow.
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Featured image credit: Vernon Yuen/Nexpher via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
