Hong Kong fire: death toll hits 128, investigation intensifies

A huge fire broke out on Wednesday in the Wang Fuk complex housing 2,000 apartments in the Tai Po district of northern Hong Kong.

As a result of the blaze of unprecedented level, the death toll has risen to 128 with 200 missing and many more displaced in the midst of chaotic situation. Around 79 people were injured in the complex fire and 16 bodies remain inside the burned buildings.

As per authorities’ confirmation, they have wrapped up the firefighting operation as 300 people are still unaccounted for.

Over 1000 units were searched in an effort to find missing survivors, authorities said. 

Investigation into the cause of such dreadful tragedy is still underway as the experts are finding the possible reasons to uncover the root cause.

According to fire experts, bamboo scaffolding could be the culprit behind this disaster as mesh and scaffolding had been set up around the Wang Fuk Court apartments for the purpose of renovation.

Guan Yeoh, professor of engineering at the University of New South Wales, and fire safety engineering expert, told the BBC, the presence of flammable materials around the building was like “waiting for a disaster to happen.”

As per Charles Jennings’ observations, he is associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and an expert on fire safety in skyscrapers, the height and packed nature of the building could be responsible for the severity of the fire.

“Any fire service is not adequately equipped to cope with a full height fire on the exterior of a high-rise building,” he added.