A very serious fire in a public housing area in Hong Kong has killed 146 people. This is the worst fire disaster in the city for more than seventy years. The fire started last Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Firefighters did not put it out completely until Friday. The number of deaths is very high, so the government has announced three days of national mourning. People in the city are very shocked by this tragedy.
The fire spread quickly through seven of the eight tall buildings. Many people could not escape from their homes. The rescue work was slow and difficult inside the blackened buildings. A police officer, Cheng Ka-chun, explained the problems. He said it was very dark inside and hard to see, especially away from the windows. By Sunday, teams had only searched four buildings, but they found many victims in apartments and on rooftops.
After the fire, the area became a place for people to remember. Thousands of people waited in long lines to leave flowers and notes. An Indonesian woman there, Romlah Rosidah, said that people learned about the event on social media, but they still felt very sad. People in the community are also collecting money to help the survivors who lost their homes.
Now, people are asking important questions about building safety. They want to know if dangerous materials on the buildings helped the fire spread so fast. This event will likely lead to stronger fire safety rules. The country is mourning, and the memory of this fire will hopefully create positive change.