Summary

Live Reporting

Edited by Alex Smith, with BBC Chinese reporters Martin Yip and Gemini Cheng in Tai Po

  1. Official pays tribute to Hong Kong firefighter who died in line of duty

    Hong Kong Secretary for Security, Tang Ping-keung, is speaking at a press briefing in 2024NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Tang Ping-keung

    We can now bring you an official tribute from Tang Ping-keung, Hong Kong's secretary for security, to firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died battling today's blaze.

    "I am profoundly grieved at the passing of Mr Ho, who lost his life in the course of an operation," Tang says. "I offer my deepest condolences to his family members."

    The statement adds Ho sustained injuries while in the line of duty and died at the Prince of Wales Hospital.

    "Mr Tang also expressed sympathies to the family members of others who died in the fire and wished the injured people a speedy recovery," the statement says.

  2. Locals bring in emergency supplies for residents affected by fire

    Phoebe Kong
    BBC Chinese, reporting from Hong Kong

    A group of young people pull a trolley filled to the brim with bags as they walk past several fire enginesPhoebe Kong/BBC

    Ho (R) and his friends say they are "immensely heartbroken"

    It's just gone 23:00 in Hong Kong (15:00 GMT) but there is no sign of the fire stopping.

    Mr Ho and his friends live in Tai Po and they have brought supplies to the victims and affected residents - including dozens of blankets and heat packs.

    When asked about their feelings about the disastrous fire, they say "the government is incompetent" - adding that they are "immensely heartbroken".

    "We don't want to see any more casualties and hope all firefighters will return home peacefully."

  3. Young woman waiting to learn if her friends made it out

    Danny Vincent
    BBC News, reporting from Hong Kong

    I’ve just spoken to a young lady who was looking almost motionless up at the burning estate.

    She tells me her friends live inside the building and is waiting for news if they managed to get out.

    The fire is still raging. You can see flames in individual apartments as many people watch on in silence.

  4. Xi Jinping shares condolences over deaths
    Breaking

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his condolences over the deaths caused by the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reports.

  5. Parties suspend election campaigning in show of unity

    Political parties fielding candidates in Hong Kong's upcoming Legislative Council election have announced a suspension in campaigning due to the ongoing fire.

    The New People's Party and Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong have announced the decision on social media while expressing their condolences for those who died and sharing support for affected residents.

    The parties say they would suspend campaigning and called on all sectors of society to unify in support of those affected.

  6. In pictures: Hundreds of firefighters deployed to tackle blaze

    The latest pictures from the scene show both the scale of the emergency and the response as hundreds of firefighters work into the night in an effort to bring the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire under control.

    Multiple fire trucks are used to spray water from ladders onto buildings that continue to burn.EPA
    Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles line the highway next to the fire, which glows in the night.EPA
    Two men watch the blaze through a metal grate from a nearby building.EPA
    An aerial view of several ambulances lining a street, and emergency responders treating someone on a stretcherReuters

  7. Residents asking for help after losing contact with relatives inside buildings on fire

    Koey Lee
    BBC News Chinese, Hong Kong

    Tai Po District Councilor Li Man-kit tells BBC Chinese that at around 16:30 local time (08:30 GMT), the local community hall was opened for affected residents to register.

    However, by about 18:30 local time, the Kwong Fuk Community Hall - closest to the fire and separated from Wang Fuk Court by a road - was deemed unsafe, and evacuees were moved to CCC Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School for shelter.

    Fellow councillor Mui Siu-fung adds that during the last few hours, they received numerous requests for help from residents reporting losing contact with family members.

    “Many people sent us WhatsApp messages or called us, saying they still have relatives inside or can’t find them," Mui says.

    At present, it remains unclear how many residents are still inside the buildings.

  8. Where and when did the fire start?

    The blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a large housing complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, at 14:51 local time on Wednesday (06:51 GMT).

    Wang Fuk Court consists of eight tower blocks, which are each 31-storeys high.

    They provide 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to the 2021 government census.

    Built in 1983, the tower blocks were undergoing renovations, and the outside of the buildings was covered in bamboo scaffolding. Footage shows the fire spreading quickly through the bamboo.

    Alt text: Map showing the location of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, with an inset photo of the tall residential buildings against a backdrop of green hills and water. An inset map show Hong Kong in the south east of China, with a red dot marking the area

  9. I'm just thinking about where I'm going to sleep tonight - Wang Fuk Court resident

    An elderly Asian man wearing a purple and aquamarine tracksuit, a large black backpack hoisted on his left shoulder. There's some bushes and buildings behind himReuters

    Harry Cheung, who has lived in block two of the Wang Fuk Court complex for more than 40 years, tells Reuters he heard "a very loud noise at around 14:45" (06:45 GMT) and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.

    "I immediately went back to pack up my things," the 66-year-old resident says.

    "I don't even know how I feel right now. I'm just thinking about where I'm going to sleep tonight because I probably won't be able to go back home."

  10. Over a thousand residents moved into nearby shelter, councillor tells the BBC

    Koey Lee
    BBC News Chinese, Hong Kong

    A man and a woman sit down on temporary bedding in a shelter as they are attended to by emergency services. A large group of people can be seen sitting around themReuters

    The Wang Fuk Court estate is home to roughly 4,600 people

    Tai Po District Councillor Mui Siu-fung tells BBC Chinese that Wang Fuk Court, the housing estate involved in the incident, comprises eight blocks - all currently undergoing major repairs. Seven of these blocks were affected by the fire, with external scaffolding severely damaged.

    “The block where the fire first started - you could see flames inside through the windows,” he says. The remaining block did not catch fire, though Mui noted it initially had a small blaze “but firefighters immediately put it out from below, so that block didn’t burn".

    He adds that firefighters are currently unable to enter the buildings safely to carry out search and rescue operations.

    Mui said that around 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT), residents began evacuating gradually: “I think about 95% of the residents have already been evacuated, and three nearby public housing blocks have also been cleared.”

    He notes that at one evacuation point near the fire scene - the Kwong Fuk Shopping Centre - there were roughly over a thousand residents.

    The Home Affairs Department has since opened several community centres as temporary shelters, with some schools also made available for relocation.

  11. 'It's a disaster,' says university student

    Danny Vincent
    BBC News, reporting from Tai Po

    Side view of the fire being tackled, a fire engine is pumping water onto the scaffoldingReuters

    I just spoke with a student who says he saw a body being taken away. He is one of many people looking on.

    "When you get closer the heat rises and you can feel it and the smoke is really heavy. It’s a disaster," Tomas Liu tells me.

    "It’s burned for such a long time. From the afternoon till now. I hope everyone can be safe."

  12. Nine people declared dead at the scene - Hong Kong fire department

    Of the 13 people who have died, nine were declared dead at the scene, Chou Wing-yin of the Fire Services Department has told a press briefing.

    Six others were sent to hospital in serious condition.

    Stick with us as we continue to bring you updates on this developing situation.

  13. Hong Kong fire department revises number of injured
    Breaking

    We're hearing more from Hong Kong authorities, who have now revised the number of those injured in the Wang Fuk Court fire down to 15.

    A little earlier, the fire service had said 28 people had been injured in the blaze.

  14. We can smell the fire from 500m away

    Phoebe Kong
    BBC Chinese, reporting from Hong Kong

    Buildings on fire in the background, several fire engines parked on the road and the side of the roadPhoebe Kong/BBC

    We can smell heavy smoke right after we leave Tai Po train station, which is about 500m from the fire.

    On our way to the scene, plenty of onlookers are anxiously watching the burning buildings.

    Dozens of fire trucks are deployed to the scene - parking just outside the burning blocks.

    Even now, new trucks keep arriving, firefighters getting oxygen tanks from them.

    Firefighters take out oxygen masks from fire engines as they prepare to tackle fire. They're wearing yellow uniforms and helmetsPhoebe Kong/BBC

  15. At least 13 dead and 28 injured in fire
    Breaking

    The death toll from the Tai Po fire has dramatically risen from 4 to 13, according to Hong Kong authorities.

    Details have also emerged from the press conference that 28 people have been injured as a result of the fire at the apartment block complex, where 767 firefighters have been deployed.

    We'll bring you more details as they come.

  16. Hong Kong chief executive convenes emergency meeting

    John Lee Ka-chiu, Hong Kong's chief executive, sits at a conference table with government officials during an emergency meeting.Hong Kong government

    John Lee Ka-chiu, Hong Kong's chief executive, has expressed his condolences over the deaths of four people as a result of the Tai Po district fire.

    Lee says in a Facebook post that he has held an emergency meeting to arrange full assistance to affected residents, adding he has told the fire department and security bureau to do their "utmost in firefighting, rescue, and medical treatment".

    He says the social welfare department has set up assistance stations at the scene, and the hospital authority has activated its emergency response.

  17. Dead firefighter described as 'dedicated and gallant'

    A firefighter who died responding to the Wang Fuk Court fire has been remembered as "dedicated and gallant".

    In a statement released by the Hong Kong government, director of fire services Andy Yeung says he is profoundly saddened by the death of Ho Wai-ho on Wednesday.

    Ho, 37, was found collapsed at the scene of the fire before being taken to Prince of Wales Hospital, where he died at 16:41 local time (08:41 GMT) after sustaining injuries in the blaze, the government says.

    "Having been a member of the Fire Services Department for about nine years, Mr Ho's performance was valiant. I am profoundly grieved at the loss of this dedicated and gallant fireman," Yeung says.

    "All of our colleagues are deeply saddened by the loss of such a devoted comrade. On behalf of all our colleagues, I have offered the deepest condolences to his family."

  18. Roads shut and buses diverted away from fire - Hong Kong transport department

    Several roads have been closed and more than 30 bus routes have been diverted away from the fire, Hong Kong's Transport department says.

    It adds that it is "closely monitoring the real-time traffic situation" as the fire continues.

  19. Hong Kong blaze: What we know - and don't know - so far

    An eight-building block in flame, smoke billowing into the night sky with Hong Kong's skyline and mountains in the backgroundEPA/Shutterstock

    Flames are still tearing through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. We're continuing to monitor the latest developments, but there are still many unanswered questions.

    What we know:

    • The fire began at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district on Wednesday afternoon
    • The building is home to 4,600 people and has nearly 2,000 flats. It was undergoing renovation when the blaze broke out
    • The fire has been updated to a level 5 - which is the most serious category
    • At least four people have died, three are in critical condition, one is in serious condition and another is stable, the Hong Kong government has said
    • Among those killed is a firefighter who was battling the blaze, Hong Kong's fire department has told the BBC
    • At least 13 people are still trapped in the fire, former district councillor Herman Yiu Kwan-ho told local media
    • Police have evacuated nearby buildings, set up a casualty hotline and the government says it has opened temporary shelters

    What we don't know yet:

    • What caused the fire
    • If there are anymore injuries or deaths
    • Exactly how many more people are trapped in the buildings
    • How long it will take to put the fire out

  20. Seventeen years since last level 5 fire

    Jack Lau
    Global China Unit, reporting from Hong Kong

    It's been 17 years since a grade 5 fire last hit Hong Kong.

    In 2008, Cornwall Court - in the commercial district of Mong Kok - caught on fire. Four people died during that incident. That commercial building was built in 1962.

    Authorities upgraded Wednesday's Tai Po fire from level 4 to 5 at 18:22 local time (10:22 UK time).