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 Fire trucks and ambulances at the scene | |
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| Date | 26 November 2025 (2025-11-26) |
|---|---|
| Time | Around 14:50 (HKT) |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Venue | Wang Fuk Court |
| Location | Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong |
| Coordinates | 22°26′48″N114°10′31″E / 22.44667°N 114.17528°E /22.44667; 114.17528 |
| Type | Residential high‑rise fire |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Deaths | 44+ |
| Non-fatal injuries | 56+ |
| Missing | 279+ |
| Arrests | 3[1] |
On 26 November 2025, a fire broke out atWang Fuk Court inTai Po District,New Territories,Hong Kong. The local authorities have reported at least 44 dead, 56 injuries, and 279 people missing.[2]
Flames ignited externally onbamboo scaffolding and quickly spread across several high‑rise blocks, engulfing at least four buildings before extending to the entire estate. There were many reports of people trapped in the building.[3][4] The fire was classified as a5 alarm fire, the second such since thehandover of Hong Kong in 1997, and the first since the 2008Cornwall Court fire.[5][4]
Wang Fuk Court is a 41-year-old subsidisedhome‑ownership housing complex located in Tai Po District. The estate has eight residential blocks 31-storeys high, with nearly 2,000 units, and is part of the public housing framework in the area; they are among the tallest buildings in Tai Po.[4][6] According to the 2021 government census, there were 4,643 residents in the complex.[7]
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A 2016 building inspection found that the estate required mandatory large-scale repairs.[8] In January 2024, the owners' corporation[a] presented three repair plans, with costs ranging from HK$150 million to HK$330 million. The HK$330 million plan was selected, and it would entail to completely rebuilding the exterior walls and setting paving stones.[11] At the time of the fire, the exterior wall repairs were still ongoing with all eight buildings being surrounded in bamboo scaffolding and fencing.[12] On 26 November 2025, the weather in Hong Kong (ahumid subtropical climate) was dry; a Red Fire Danger Warning, issued by the Hong Kong Observatory on 24 November 2025 because of dry conditions, remained in force on the day of the fire.[13][14]
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The fire began on Wang Cheong House and was first reported around 14:51HKT (UTC+08:00) and rapidly escalated. The emergency alert was raised from a 1 alarm to 4 by 15:34, and to the highest level, 5, by 18:22.[3] The fire could be smelled from 500 metres (1,600 ft) away.[16] Officials state that the fire started at one of the external scaffoldings of one of the buildings, and then spread inside and to other buildings.[17] Security SecretaryChris Tang commented that the rate at which the fire spread was "unusual" and that the blaze should not have spread through the buildings so rapidly if proper materials and scaffolding had been in place.[18]
As of 21:00, seven of the eight buildings were still on fire. There were 128 firetrucks, 57 ambulances and 767 firefighters deployed to the scene.[19] Over 1,000 residents were evacuated to the nearby Kwong Fuk Shopping Centre.[20]
A small wildfire broke out across the river from the apartment complex, close toWong Shiu Chi Secondary School at 22:13, and firefighters and paramedics rushed to the new fire.[21]
At least 44 people were confirmed to have been killed while 56 others were injured, including 45 in critical condition.[22][2][23] Of the fatalities, 40 were declared dead on scene while four others died in hospital.[2] At least twenty bodies were recovered from the site by 05:00 on 27 November.[3] One of the fatalities was a firefighter who died while responding. He was identified as 37-year-old Ho Wai Ho, a 9-year veteran of theHong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD)[7] based inSha Tin Fire Station.[4] Reports indicate he arrived at the scene shortly after the fire was reported and lost contact with his colleagues around 30 minutes later; his body was discovered with burn injuries to his face.[24]
Chief ExecutiveJohn Lee Ka-chiu reported that at least 279 people were missing. At least one firefighter was also injured.[4]
When the fire broke out, Tai Po District Office arranged for the affected residents to be evacuated into temporary shelters nearby, including Kwong Fuk Community Hall, Tung Cheong Street Community Hall, Tai Po Community Centre, Fu Shan Community Hall, Shan Lou (Shan Dao Hui), and Chinese Christian Church's Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School.[25][26][3] The district office also had set up a help desk atAlice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital to assist affected residents there with their questions and inquiries.[27][28]
TheHong Kong Police Force set up a registration table at Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School for residents to register information about relatives with whom they had lost contact, and also established an injured inquiry hotline for citizens to search for relatives suspected to be injured or missing.[29] It also established a "restricted flight zone" over the area affected by the fire to prohibit drones from interfering with the rescue efforts. The restriction was set to last from 27 November 2025 8 am until 30 November 2025 8 am.[30]
TheChief Executive of Hong Kong,John Lee Ka-chiu, activated the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre, and chaired an emergency interdepartmental meeting.[31][32][33]
TheEducation Bureau announced that six schools would suspend classes for a day on 27 November to ease potential traffic congestion in the area for the firefighting operation.[34]
TheHong Kong Housing Authority said that it coordinated the housing resources for residents affected by the fire, including over 2,000 temporary housing units and temporary shelters, beds and also over 1,400 transitional housing units that are available for occupancy that it provided.[35]
Social welfare organisations in Tai Po district opened their service point for affected residents to take immediate refuge after the fire. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church had announced on theirFacebook page that they will open the church for prayers who are affected by the fire to rest. The Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres, Hong Kong Children & Youth Services, The Hong Kong Chinese Church of Christ andAlliance World Fellowship also opened their church and service centres for refuge in the district.[36]The Salvation Army,Rhenish Missionary Society andHong Kong Federation of Youth Group opened their service centres in the district and also provided mental support services.[37][38]
TheHong Kong Red Cross sent staff to three temporary shelters to provide materials and first aid services.[39] At 8:30 pm, the Hong Kong Red Cross started providing their mental support hotline until November 28.[40] TheChinese YMCA of Hong Kong said it would open 900 free temporary accommodations for citizens in need at theWu Kwai Sha Youth Village.[41]
TheHong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Yuen Chen Maun Chen Primary School opened for affected residents to rest, providing water and soda crackers.[29]
TheGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party,Xi Jinping, expressed condolences to the victims of a deadly blaze and urged an "all-out effort" to extinguish the fire, and to minimise casualties and losses.[42]
CSL Mobile provided free additional mobile data to customers affected by the fire, and lent out chargers as well as extending the operating hours of itsTai Po Mega Mall store to 23:00.[39][43]Regal Hotels International opened the Regal Riverside Hotel for victims, and instructed other properties it owned to allow the victims to stay if they have rooms to spare.[44][45]
McDonald's announced that it would provide free food to affected residents at three of the chain's 24-hour locations in the immediate aftermath and would send 1,000 breakfast meals to multiple evacuation centres on the morning of 27 November.[citation needed]
Chris Tang Ping‑keung,Secretary for Security of Hong Kong, expressed “deep grief” at the passing of a firefighter (named as Mr Ho) who died in the line of duty, offering his “deepest condolences” to his family.[46]
TheHong Kong Police Force arrested three men on suspicion ofmanslaughter in connection with the fire, due to gross negligence.[47] More details are expected to be released at an upcoming press conference.[48]
Media related to2025 Tai Po apartment fire at Wikimedia Commons
