Hang in there. Those were the last words Mr. Chung said to his wife after a huge fire broke out in their high-rise public housing complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. At approximately 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday, he received a panicked phone call from her, saying she couldn't escape their apartment with their cat. Rushing home from work, he was met with the sight of their 31-storey building engulfed in flames and smoke. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 24 hours, affecting seven tower blocks and leading to at least 128 casualties, with nearly 300 individuals still unaccounted for, including Mr. Chung's wife.
Residents who were at home or managed to flee recounted the chaos that unfolded, emphasizing the absence of fire alarms to alert them. Throughout the night, Mr. Chung and his brother anxiously sought updates from firefighters, who were unable to provide information about the missing individuals.
As smoke thickened within minutes, Mr. Chung's wife could not navigate through the haze. With hours having passed since he last heard from her, he braced himself for the worst news. She probably did faint, he told a reporter, tears in his eyes. The couple had lived in Wang Cheong House for a decade, and when the fire started, the smoke rapidly rendered their escape impossible.
While the cause is still under investigation, renovations involving flammable materials are believed to have exacerbated the fire's spread, marking this incident as the deadliest in Hong Kong in 60 years. Among the 1,800 units within the affected estate, many residents are elderly and potentially unable to evacuate swiftly, which has heightened concerns regarding the number of missing persons.
As families continue to wait for word about their loved ones, the government has announced financial support for those displaced, but the path forward remains uncertain for many. Survivors and families like that of Mr. Chung remain hopeful for miraculous news while grappling with the overwhelming loss and devastation of the tragedy.
Residents who were at home or managed to flee recounted the chaos that unfolded, emphasizing the absence of fire alarms to alert them. Throughout the night, Mr. Chung and his brother anxiously sought updates from firefighters, who were unable to provide information about the missing individuals.
As smoke thickened within minutes, Mr. Chung's wife could not navigate through the haze. With hours having passed since he last heard from her, he braced himself for the worst news. She probably did faint, he told a reporter, tears in his eyes. The couple had lived in Wang Cheong House for a decade, and when the fire started, the smoke rapidly rendered their escape impossible.
While the cause is still under investigation, renovations involving flammable materials are believed to have exacerbated the fire's spread, marking this incident as the deadliest in Hong Kong in 60 years. Among the 1,800 units within the affected estate, many residents are elderly and potentially unable to evacuate swiftly, which has heightened concerns regarding the number of missing persons.
As families continue to wait for word about their loved ones, the government has announced financial support for those displaced, but the path forward remains uncertain for many. Survivors and families like that of Mr. Chung remain hopeful for miraculous news while grappling with the overwhelming loss and devastation of the tragedy.
