Dozens killed, hundreds missing after Hong Kong high-rise blaze : NPR

TO MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Fifty-five people are dead and hundreds are still missing after a massive fire broke out at a public housing complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday. It took firefighters almost a day to bring the blaze under control, with many residents trapped inside. The complex was being renovated and authorities say the construction materials used for the work did not meet standards.

Reporter Sherisse Pham joins us now from Hong Kong. Sherisse, you actually need to visit the fire site. Tell us about what you saw.

SHERISSE PHAM: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was one of the deadliest fires in the city’s history. When I went there earlier today, some of the buildings were charred black. More than 24 hours later, firefighters were still trying to put out fires in three buildings. It is a huge social housing complex housing around 4,600 people. And the estate was under renovation.

You know, the buildings were covered with bamboo scaffolding and green protective netting. And as the fire ripped through the complex last night, much of the scaffolding and netting could be seen catching fire and spreading. Earlier today, I saw a large piece of debris falling from one of the buildings that was still on fire.

The police therefore arrested three people from the company responsible for the renovations on suspicion of manslaughter, claiming that the contractor had shown, I quote, “gross negligence”. They found nets and construction materials that did not meet safety standards. And police said the polystyrene panels used near the windows were highly flammable and these may have contributed to how quickly this fire spread.

MARTÍNEZ: Wow. Tell us more about where exactly this fire took place.

PHAM: Yeah. It’s in a public housing estate called Wang Fuk Court. It is in a suburban area in the northeast of Hong Kong. It’s really a pretty region. It’s next to a river, there are walking trails and parks. And I just want to give you an idea of ​​the size of the complex. It has nearly 2,000 apartments spread across eight 32-story buildings.

And the height of the buildings posed a real challenge for firefighters because their ladders could not reach that high. So when I was there, I saw fire hoses pointed at the buildings, but, you know, the water stream only reached halfway to two-thirds of the way up. And it’s a public housing complex. This makes it a more affordable place to live in a city known for its high property prices and rents.

And with public housing here, people often move in and just don’t leave. Unfortunately, many elderly people probably live there. I actually spoke with a woman, Ms. Lam. She preferred not to give her first name for reasons of confidentiality. She is 65 years old. She lived there with her husband for over 40 years.

She found out about the fire through a text message from a friend, then seconds later the alarm went off and she knew she had to leave. She tried to reach her neighbor, an octogenarian who had difficulty walking. There was no answer at the door and she still hadn’t heard from him this afternoon.

MARTÍNEZ: Wow. You mentioned earlier that hundreds of people are still missing, which could mean that the death toll, which stands at 55 people, could actually rise, right?

PHAM: That’s true. And several people injured in the fire remain in critical condition, according to the government. And firefighters are still trying to rescue people trapped inside or people suspected of being trapped inside. For now, hundreds of people affected by this fire are in temporary shelters. And I talked to an elderly couple. They lived in Wang Fuk Courtyard since its construction.

They were sitting on a park bench with a nylon bag, filled with a blanket and a foldable mattress at their feet. They watched the fires burn for hours and, you know, they weren’t sure if their apartment survived, but at least they had a place to spend the night. They would go to their son’s house. Others, unfortunately, will not be so lucky.

MARTÍNEZ: This is journalist Sherisse Pham joining us from Hong Kong. Sherisse, thank you for your report.

PHAM: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF PETER BRODERICK’S “EYES CLOSED AND VOYAGER”)

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