Hong Kong fire leaves 36 dead and hundreds missing

A fierce fire that has burned through a housing estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po neighbourhood has caused several deaths, while many people are missing.

According to Africanews via AP on November 26th, officials have stated that at least 36 people, including one firefighter, have died, and hundreds are still reported missing. This is one of the deadliest fires Hong Kong has faced in years.

With the fire being extremely powerful and officials still unclear on how many people are trapped inside, the death toll will likely increase over the coming days. Residents were instructed to evacuate the complex as the blaze spread across seven of the eight high-rise

buildings.

The cause of the fire is not yet clear; however, it spread rapidly due to the construction mesh and flammable bamboo scaffolding surrounding the buildings, which have been undergoing renovations since July last year.

Hong Kong is well known for using bamboo in construction, and it is one of the last places in the world where it is extensively used for scaffolding.

Honk Kong is also well known for its tall skyscraper buildings and for investing in projects in other countries. At the beginning of 2025, China invested in five new cement projects in Africa, with the continent’s cement market expected to grow to $42 billion by 2030.

And the flow of Chinese money into Africa is prompted by a stagnant economy in the Asian country and restrictive domestic environmental polices.

According to the public broadcaster, RTHK, the police have arrested three men in suspicion of manslaughter, concerning the fire.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressed his condolences to the firefighter who lost their life and extended his sympathy to the relatives of the victims.

By November 27th local time, the fire department had said that the fire was beginning to be contained, with three of the buildings showing no indication of flames. Hong Kong’s police and fire departments have created a unit to get to the bottom of why the fire took place.

Africanews via AP, Maghrebi.org