VIDEO: Fire hits high-rise complex in Hong Kong and kills 44

Video shows moment when high-rise complex catches fire in Hong Kong A large fire hit several high-rise buildings in a residential complex in Hong Kong this Wednesday (26) and left 44 people dead and dozens injured, according to local authorities. The fire, the deadliest in the city in three decades. Three people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the fire. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp More than 200 people were still missing until the last update of this report, and many of them remained trapped in the burning buildings, according to the Fire Department. More than 15 hours after the fire started, around 800 firefighters continued working to rescue the victims. The complex that caught fire has eight towers, some of which are still on fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated, but authorities believe the fire spread quickly through green construction screens and bamboo scaffolding that were being used in renovation work. Police said the screens did not meet fire safety standards. Three men from the construction company responsible for the work were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter — when there is no intention to kill. “We have reason to believe that those responsible at the company were extremely negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread out of control, resulting in a large number of casualties,” said Eileen Chung, superintendent of the Hong Kong police. The complex, located in the Tai Po district, has around two thousand apartments and houses around 4,600 residents, according to a census carried out by the government in 2021. Each of the eight towers has more than 30 floors. PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: see images of the fire in the group of skyscrapers in Hong Kong A firefighter is among the dead, according to the British network “BBC”, and others were also injured while fighting the flames. A fire department spokesman said there was “a lot of concern” about the temperature inside the buildings, which was very high and made it difficult to enter the buildings to carry out rescue work. Massive fire hits buildings in Hong Kong and leaves people dead and injured The fire Man responds to fire in a group of skyscrapers in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu The Fire Department said it received a call at 3:51 am Brasília time (2:51 pm local time) about the fire. Hundreds of agents were mobilized. Hours after fighting the flames began, the ministry raised the alert to level 5, the highest on the scale. Another 400 police officers were mobilized, according to the government. Hong Kong’s Transport Department said that due to the fire, an entire section of the Tai Po Highway has been closed, and bus routes are being diverted. The police even isolated two blocks neighboring the condominium due to the fire, which were later released. Hong Kong has a history of serious fires. The last major impact occurred in 1996, when 41 people died after a fire caused by welding during internal renovations. The episode led to changes in construction and fire safety rules in tall buildings. The use of bamboo scaffolding — traditional in Chinese architecture and still common in Hong Kong — is being reduced after 22 deaths involving workers between 2019 and 2024. At least three fires with this type of structure have been recorded this year, according to an association of victims of industrial accidents. Large fire hits a group of skyscrapers in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. Yan Zhao/AFP See where a large fire occurred in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. Veronica Medeiros/arte g1 Large fire hits a group of skyscrapers in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Large fire hits a group of skyscrapers in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Firefighters stand in front of a group of skyscrapers damaged by fire in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Massive fire hits a group of skyscrapers in Hong Kong on November 26, 2025. Reuters

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