HONG KONG SAR – A catastrophic fire that engulfed a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday has claimed at least 44 lives, including one firefighter, with authorities reporting 279 people still missing as of Thursday morning, 27 November 2025. The blaze at the Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district has left dozens more in critical condition and prompted the arrest of three men on suspicion of manslaughter.

The fire, which broke out at approximately 2:51 PM Hong Kong Time (9:51 AM EAT) on Wednesday, spread with unusual speed across seven of the eight 32-storey towers in the complex, which houses approximately 4,800 residents. Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, described the incident as a “massive catastrophe” and confirmed a thorough investigation would be launched. Authorities escalated the incident to a five-alarm fire, the city's highest emergency rating, deploying over 140 fire engines and nearly 800 firefighters to the scene.

Investigators are focusing on the role of extensive bamboo scaffolding and construction mesh that sheathed the buildings for ongoing renovations. Officials noted the rapid spread was “unusual” and are probing whether flammable materials, such as styrofoam, were improperly used by the construction company, contributing to the disaster. Police arrested three men, aged 52 to 68, identified as directors and an engineering consultant for the firm in charge of the renovations, alleging gross negligence.

A Cautionary Tale for Nairobi's Vertical Growth

The tragedy in Hong Kong, one of the world's most densely populated cities, offers critical lessons for Nairobi, which is experiencing its own vertical construction boom. While geographically distant, the incident highlights universal risks associated with high-rise buildings, particularly concerning construction materials and regulatory enforcement.

Kenya has its own history of construction-related disasters, often linked to regulatory failures and the use of substandard materials. In October 2024, an eight-storey building collapsed in Nairobi's Kahawa West neighbourhood after being condemned as structurally unsound. The National Construction Authority (NCA) has previously raised concerns over poor safety standards in the capital. In response to such incidents, Kenya launched a new National Building Code in 2024, aiming to enforce stricter standards for construction, fire safety, and disaster risk management.

The Hong Kong fire underscores the specific danger of flammable external materials. The use of bamboo scaffolding, a traditional practice the Hong Kong government had already begun to phase out due to safety concerns, is believed to have been a key factor in the fire's rapid spread. This serves as a direct warning for Kenyan developers and regulators to rigorously vet all construction materials, especially in a dense urban environment like Nairobi. The Kenyan building code mandates fire-resistant construction and outlines specific requirements for escape routes and firefighting installations in multi-storey buildings, but consistent enforcement remains the primary challenge.

Global Context of Urban Fire Safety

The Wang Fuk Court fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong since the 1996 Garley Building fire, which killed 41 people and led to significant reforms in fire safety legislation. It also draws parallels to other global tragedies like the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, where flammable exterior cladding led to 72 deaths and exposed systemic failures in building regulations.

As rescue and recovery operations continue in Hong Kong, with search teams moving through the devastated towers, the focus is shifting to accountability and prevention. For Kenya, the incident is a timely and urgent reminder that as our cities grow taller, the regulatory frameworks and safety cultures designed to protect their residents must rise with them. The enforcement of Kenya's new building code, particularly its provisions on material standards and site safety, is not merely a matter of compliance but of public safety.