Hong Kong has begun three days of mourning after a terrible fire in a housing complex. It is the worst fire the city has seen in eighty years. The fire happened at the Wang Fuk Court buildings in the Tai Po area. At least 128 people have died, and around 200 people are still missing. This makes it one of the deadliest city fires in the world since 1980.
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon. It spread very quickly through seven of the eight towers in the busy housing area. More than 2,000 firefighters worked for almost two days to stop the fire. They say the temperature inside the buildings was over 500 degrees Celsius. In a worrying discovery, the fire chief, Andy Yeung, said that the fire alarm systems in the towers did not go off.
Early reports say the fire began on safety netting on the lower floors. It then spread upwards very fast because of polystyrene panels and bamboo scaffolding, which burn easily. This tragedy has made people ask questions about building safety rules. Because of this, eight people, including engineers and builders, have been arrested. Three construction managers also face serious charges for the deaths.
The government has created a HK$300 million fund to help the families who lost their homes and the people who survived. At the same time, community groups are working hard to provide supplies and shelter. The people of Hong Kong are now dealing with a very difficult time, as they try to find their missing relatives and recover from this disaster.