Hong Kong: 94 dead, hundreds still missing in tower inferno

Firefighters battled for a second day on Thursday to contain a massive inferno that ripped through seven high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong, as the death toll climbed to 94 and over 300 people remained missing in what officials described as the city's worst disaster in 70 years. Some 76 people were injured, including 15 in critical condition and 28 listed as serious. The dead also include a firefighter. Many are still trapped in the buildings.

Damn! Watch how quickly the fire spread up the Hong Kong high-rise building

The death toll has now risen to 94 with many still missing.pic.twitter.com/V0D1wCPQ5r

— Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) November 27, 2025

Raging flames at four out of the seven blocks have been brought under control, while fires continued to burn on the upper floors of the remaining 31-storey buildings on Thursday evening. At least two apartment buildings are still ablaze more than a day after fires broke out, according to local media report, with rescuers saying extremely high temperatures have hampered their ability to reach trapped residents. A man was rescued alive from the 16th story of one of the towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex Thursday, public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing Hong Kong's fire department.

Many of the more than 4000 people who lived in the public housing estate in the city's Tai Po neighbourhood were aged 65 and over. The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, but a criminal investigation has been launched.The complex was under renovation and encased in bamboo scaffolding and safety netting – a construction technique that's ubiquitous in Hong Kong and parts of mainland China. Authorities are also investigating whether flammable material, including polystyrene boards blocking windows of multiple apartments, may have contributed to the inferno.