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Hong Kong Fire: 4 Dead in Scaffolding Blaze
26 Nov
Summary
- Four people died and three were injured in a high-rise fire.
- The blaze spread rapidly through bamboo scaffolding.
- Firefighters battled intense flames in the Tai Po district.
A catastrophic fire tore through a residential high-rise in Hong Kong's Tai Po district on Wednesday, resulting in four fatalities and three injuries. The intense blaze rapidly spread via the building's external bamboo scaffolding, complicating rescue efforts and trapping residents within the structure.
Emergency services were alerted mid-afternoon, quickly escalating the incident to a No. 4 alarm fire, indicating significant severity. Firefighters faced challenging conditions as flames shot from the building, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky. Efforts focused on containing the inferno and rescuing those trapped.
This tragic event underscores growing safety concerns surrounding the widespread use of bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong for construction and renovation projects. Authorities had previously announced plans to phase out this practice in public works due to inherent risks, a decision now brought into sharp focus by this fatal incident.
