Inside Hong Kong’s Most Devastating Blaze in Recent Memory

The serenity of a sunny Wednesday afternoon in northeastern Hong Kong was shattered at approximately 2:51 p.m. As the alarming sight of flames licking up the bamboo scaffolding and protective green netting of the towering 31-story Wang Cheong House emerged, chaos ensued.

A Rapidly Spreading Inferno

In the blink of an eye, the blaze spread swiftly across the residential structures of the picturesque waterfront community in Tai Po. Aiding the fire's advance, brisk continental winds ushered in a dry, cool atmosphere, which fanned the flames further. What started with a single building soon saw seven out of eight towers, collectively accommodating nearly 2,000 living units and close to 5,000 residents, enveloped in flames. As thick plumes of charcoal-colored smoke towered into the sky, it signaled the gravity of the catastrophe.