A devastating fire, the deadliest in Hong Kong in over seven decades, has torn through a public housing complex in the Tai Po district, claiming at least 94 lives and leaving a community in profound mourning. The inferno, which began on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court complex, raged for three days, engulfing seven of the estate's eight 32-storey towers and presenting firefighters with a formidable and tragic challenge. The blaze erupted at 14:51 local time, spreading with terrifying speed across the towers' exteriors. Video evidence analysed by BBC Verify confirmed the fire leapt from its origin in Wang Cheong House to the fourth floor in a mere six minutes. Authorities attribute this rapid escalation to unsafe bamboo scaffolding and highly flammable foam materials enveloping the buildings for ongoing renovations. This combination, officials allege, created a perfect storm for disaster. The first fire crews arrived on the scene just six minutes after the alarm was raised, yet by then the conflagration was already widespread. Rescue operations were severely hampered by intense heat, thick smoke, and falling debris from the compromised scaffolding. In a testament to the perilous conditions, a survivor was miraculously rescued from a 16th-floor stairway a full day after the fire began. The human cost is staggering: beyond the 94 confirmed fatalities, which include one firefighter and two Indonesian domestic workers, 76 people were injured, 11 of them firefighters. As of Friday, hundreds of residents remain unaccounted for, with earlier figures suggesting more than 250 missing. The catastrophe has triggered a wave of public anger and a swift official response. Chief Executive John Lee has ordered a "comprehensive investigation," and three construction firm executives, aged between 52 and 68, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and gross negligence. The government's focus has been squarely on the role of the construction materials. However, this perspective is being met with public scepticism. Critics contend that blaming the bamboo scaffolding deflects from deeper, systemic issues of building safety regulation and the inherent risks of densely packed high-rise living, which can become death traps in a crisis. The tragedy at Wang Fuk Court, home to some 4,800 people, has cast a harsh light on social anxieties surrounding affordable housing and safety standards in one of the world's most vertical cities. As the last of the flames were subdued, the city was left not only to grieve but to confront the urgent questions this disaster has ignited about accountability and the future of urban safety.