Hong Kong authorities confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the death toll from Wednesday’s catastrophic fire at the Wang Fuk Court public housing estate in Tai Po has risen to 94, making it the deadliest blaze in the city since 1948. Firefighters finally extinguished flames in four of the eight high-rise blocks and brought three others under control, but thick smoke continued to pour from windows as rescue teams moved apartment-to-apartment in the blackened towers searching for survivors and victims. An unknown number of residents remain missing; earlier in the day officials said contact had been lost with 279 people.

The fire, which erupted mid-afternoon Wednesday in bamboo scaffolding and construction netting during renovation work, spread with terrifying speed across seven of the eight 32-story buildings housing nearly 4,800 residents, many of them elderly. Strong winds and highly flammable exterior materials—including plastic foam panels later found attached near elevator lobbies—turned the complex into an inferno within minutes. Debris, collapsing scaffolding, and blocked access roads severely hampered initial rescue efforts, with firefighters battling extreme heat and darkness overnight.

More than 70 people were injured, including 11 firefighters, while around 900 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters. Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded outside the cordoned-off site as families waited for news; one man, Lawrence Lee, spent the night in a shelter after his wife was forced back into their smoke-filled flat when escape routes became impassable. Elderly couple Winter and Sandy Chung, who fled as sparks flew around them, said they had been unable to sleep from worry about their home.

Also Read: Investigators Trace Hong Kong Fire’s Swift Spread to Flammable Foam Used in Renovation

In a swift response, police arrested three directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction & Engineering Company—the firm responsible for the renovation—on suspicion of manslaughter, citing “gross negligence.” Officers raided the company’s office on Thursday, seizing boxes of documents. Authorities suspect substandard, highly flammable materials were used on exterior walls and that fire-resistance regulations were breached. The Housing Department and the Independent Commission Against Corruption have launched parallel probes into possible corruption linked to the renovation contract.

Hong Kong’s leadership pledged sweeping safety reforms. Chief Secretary Eric Chan announced an immediate push to replace traditional bamboo scaffolding with metal in suitable projects, acknowledging its inferior flame retardancy. Inspections of all public housing estates undergoing major renovation work began Thursday, with officials vowing stricter enforcement of fire-safety standards for construction materials.

The tragedy has stunned the city and drawn international sympathy, including a message of condolence from Pope Leo XIV. As search-and-rescue operations continue into a third day, the final toll is feared to climb higher, cementing the Wang Fuk Court fire as one of modern Hong Kong’s worst disasters and prompting urgent questions about building safety in one of the world’s most densely populated urban centers.

Also Read: Delhi 10/11 Probe: NIA Confronts Shaheen Saeed at Al Falah University Amid Delhi Blast Investigation