A fire engulfed several high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and reportedly trapping others inside.
Hong Kong Fire Brigade said received reports of a fire breaking out at around 2:50 p.m. in the Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a district in the northern New Territories
The fire was upgraded to alarm No. 5, the most severe classification in Hong Kong, at 6:22 p.m
In a government statement the department said nine people were taken to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital.
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Flames engulf bamboo scaffolding in several buildings of the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 26, 2025. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
Four people were declared dead and three were in critical condition. Another was listed as serious and one was stable.
Hong Kong Security Minister Tang Ping-keung said a firefighter died after sustaining injuries while fighting the fire.
“I am deeply saddened by the death of Mr. Ho, who was killed during surgery. I extend my deepest condolences to his family members,” Tang said.
Firefighters try to extinguish flames engulfing bamboo scaffolding over several buildings at the Wang Fuk Court residential area in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 26, 2025. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
Photos from the scene showed the towers’ bamboo scaffoldings engulfed in flames and thick, dark smoke pouring from several floors.
Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, and one man was photographed in visible distress and said his wife was trapped inside.
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Wong, 71, reacts after claiming his wife is trapped in Wang Fuk Court during a major fire in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on November 26, 2025. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
Chan Kwong-tak, an 83-year-old retiree living in the community, told The South China Morning Post that the fire alarms did not go off when the fire broke out, even though the buildings were equipped with them.
“If anyone was asleep then, it was done,” he said.
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Former Tai Po district councilor Herman Yiu Kwan-ho also told the newspaper that residents reported not hearing the fire alarm go off even after noticing the smell of smoke. He said they were only alerted when a security guard knocked on their door, giving them little time to get out.
The Tai Po District Office opened temporary shelters for those in need at Kwong Fuk Community Hall and Tung Cheong Street Community Hall.
