At least 14 people have been confirmed dead and dozens more are feared trapped after a massive fire tore through a residential high-rise in the heart of Hong Kong early Tuesday morning, in what officials are calling one of the city’s deadliest urban disasters in recent years. The inferno engulfed the 42-story building in Kowloon’s densely populated Jordan district — a blaze so intense that flames were seen shooting out of windows nearly 20 stories high.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene around 3:15 a.m. local time after frantic residents called reporting thick smoke and screams echoing through the hallways. Within minutes, firefighters were battling walls of fire that spread with terrifying speed, fueled by strong winds and flammable materials inside the building. “It was chaos,” one witness told South China Morning Post. “You could hear people crying for help from the upper floors. It felt like watching hell unfold in front of you.”
Officials from the Hong Kong Fire Services Department confirmed that at least 14 people have been killed, while more than 40 others have been hospitalized — several in critical condition. Rescuers say dozens remain unaccounted for as smoke continues to pour from the upper floors, where heat and structural instability have made entry impossible. “We’re doing everything we can,” Chief Fire Officer Yuen Ka-Wah said at a tense morning briefing. “But this is one of the most dangerous rescue operations we’ve faced in years.”
“A towering inferno in Hong Kong has left at least 14 dead and dozens missing. Rescue crews still battling flames.” @guardian
Videos shared on X and Instagram show desperate residents leaning from windows, waving towels and flashlights in the dark as firefighters extended ladders toward them. Others were seen climbing onto ledges, trapped between walls of fire and choking smoke. “We heard children screaming,” said one neighbor, who lives in an adjacent building. “The fire spread so fast — within minutes the entire side of the tower was glowing orange.”
According to initial reports from Reuters, the fire is believed to have started on the 10th floor, possibly due to an electrical short circuit in an illegally subdivided apartment. Officials are now investigating whether poor fire safety compliance — a long-running issue in Hong Kong’s older buildings — contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
Witnesses say smoke filled the stairwells within seconds, trapping residents on upper floors as sprinklers failed to activate. “I grabbed my baby and ran, but the smoke was everywhere,” survivor Lin Wei told BBC News. “I saw people collapsing. We couldn’t see anything — it was pitch black.”
“Survivors describe choking smoke and chaos as they fled the burning tower in Jordan district.” @reuters
Firefighters worked for over six hours to bring the flames under control, battling temperatures so high that windows shattered from the heat. As dawn broke, black smoke still rose from the charred shell of the building — a haunting silhouette against Hong Kong’s skyline. The city’s Chief Executive, John Lee, called the fire “a national tragedy” and vowed a full investigation. “We will hold accountable anyone found responsible for safety lapses,” he said in a statement to SCMP.
In an emotional scene, family members gathered outside the barricades, clutching photos and calling the names of loved ones still missing. Some collapsed to the ground as emergency officials read out the names of confirmed victims. “My sister lived on the 18th floor,” one man told reporters. “She texted that the hallway was full of smoke. Then her phone went dead.”
International leaders and humanitarian organizations have expressed condolences, with Red Cross Hong Kong setting up emergency shelters and offering counseling services for survivors. Volunteers handed out bottled water and blankets as exhausted firefighters emerged from the wreckage, their faces blackened with soot. “We haven’t slept,” one responder said. “But we can’t stop — there are still people inside.”
Online, the tragedy has sparked an outpouring of grief and anger, with users calling for stricter enforcement of building safety codes. “This was preventable,” one Hong Kong resident wrote on X. “How many more people have to die before the government takes action against unsafe housing?” Others shared emotional tributes with the hashtag #HongKongFire, posting photos of candlelit vigils and prayers for the missing.
“‘We heard children crying through the smoke.’ Heartbreaking eyewitness accounts emerge from Hong Kong tower inferno.” @people
Authorities say the final death toll could rise as rescue teams sift through the debris. Hospitals across the city remain on high alert, treating dozens of victims suffering from severe burns and smoke inhalation. “Many are in critical condition,” said Dr. Mei Wong of Queen Elizabeth Hospital. “We’re fighting to save as many as we can.”
Tonight, the streets of Kowloon are lined with candles and flowers, a somber tribute to those lost in the blaze. For Hong Kong — a city known for its dazzling skyline and relentless pace — the tragedy has struck a deep emotional chord. “It’s hard to believe this happened in the middle of our city,” one local woman said through tears. “They were our neighbors, our friends. This should never have happened.”
As firefighters continue their search through the smoldering ruins, the haunting question remains: how did a fire in one apartment become a catastrophe that consumed an entire tower — and so many lives along with it?
