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Firefighters battled a blaze astatine a high-rise residential analyzable successful Hong Kong for the 2nd time connected Thursday (November 27, 2025), arsenic the decease toll roseate to 65 successful 1 of the deadliest blazes successful the city's modern history.
Thick fume continued to determination retired of immoderate apartments successful the Wang Fuk Court complex, a dense clump of high-rise towers lodging thousands of radical successful Tai Po district, a bluish suburb adjacent Hong Kong's borderline with the mainland. Flames could inactive beryllium seen wrong the buildings connected Thursday evening.
Hong Kong person John Lee said interaction had been mislaid with 279 radical earlier connected Thursday. Rescues were continuing successful immoderate of the towers, but authorities did not supply updates connected the missing oregon however galore were inactive trapped wrong the ravaged buildings connected Thursday during a property conference.
Firefighters person been trying to power the flames since midafternoon connected Wednesday, erstwhile the occurrence started successful bamboo scaffolding and operation netting and past dispersed crossed 7 of the complex's 8 buildings. Fires successful 4 buildings had been efficaciously enactment out, with the remaining 3 towers nether control, authorities said Thursday afternoon.
One firefighter was among the dead, and 70 radical were injured, authorities said. About 900 radical were evacuated to impermanent shelters overnight.
Resident Lawrence Lee was waiting for quality astir his wife, who helium believed was inactive trapped successful their apartment.
“When the occurrence started, I told her connected the telephone to escape. But erstwhile she near the flat, the corridor and stairs were each filled with fume and it was each dark, truthful she had nary prime but to spell backmost to the flat,” helium said, arsenic helium waited successful 1 of the shelters overnight.
Winter and Sandy Chung, who lived successful 1 of the towers, said they saw sparks alert astir arsenic they evacuated connected Wednesday afternoon. Although they were safe, they were disquieted astir their home. “I couldn't slumber the full night,” Winter Chung, 75, told The Associated Press connected Thursday.
