Hong Kong housing estate inferno kills 128, hundreds still missing
The death toll from Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades has risen to 128, with around 200 people still missing after a blaze tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po district. Authorities said fire alarms in all eight residential blocks were malfunctioning, forcing residents to bang on doors and run from flat to flat to warn neighbours as flames spread. The fire began on Wednesday afternoon and raced through seven of the estate’s eight high-rise towers, turning the densely packed complex into an inferno. Fire services said the blaze, which burned for more than 40 hours, was largely extinguished by Friday morning after crews searched over 1,800 flats for survivors. Investigators believe the fire started in protective netting on the lower floors of one tower, with foam boards and bamboo scaffolding used for renovation work helping […]