Death Toll Climbs with Hundreds Missing in Massive Hong Kong Inferno

A massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong erupted on Wednesday afternoon, quickly spreading through multiple high rise residential buildings with bamboo scaffolding, trapping hundreds of residents, triggering mass panic, overwhelming firefighters, killing, as of tme of publishing, at least 55 people, injuring many others.

In the latest Reuters News report at least 55 people have been confirmed killed with hundreds still missing. The complex housed 4,600 apartments and was undergoing renovations. The 31 story buildings were covered in nylon mesh and bamboo scaffolding, with reports of foam insulation sprayed on the outside of the windows.

As the fire spread, the construction mesh and bamboo became ablaze and triggered fallout on the surrounding buildings, spreading the fire throughout the complex. The fire entered the buildings trapping many residents on the upper floors as the horrific inferno spread.

The videos and still images are terrible.  24 hours later and the heat inside the buildings is too intense for firefighters conducting search and rescue efforts.  An absolute nightmare for those who lived in the buildings.