🔗 Share this article Devastated Hong Kong Locals Stunned as Massive Fire Engulfs Apartment Blocks "Getting closer to the scene, the warmth rises and you can feel it, with the haze being very thick." Young scholar an eyewitness was among the many residents attracted to the site of a tragic fire that engulfed much of the multi-block residential estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. A minimum of over three dozen individuals have lost their lives in the recent catastrophic fire currently, with hundreds still unaccounted for, indicating that this number will possibly grow. "This is a catastrophe," the student commented about the fire, adding that he had witnessed a deceased person being taken away from the area. Over a 1,000 additional residents were required to vacate the complex as the fire spread, with many making their way to emergency centers that have been established to house them. The blaze is progressively being contained, but emergency responders state they do not know when it will be fully extinguished. Blazes could be observed coming from individual apartments as countless people observed in silence. "I'm heartbroken. We have so numerous neighbors and friends. I cannot comprehend what is going on now. See, all the apartments are just on fire. I cannot determine what to do. I pray the authorities can help us to settle down after this." One woman explained that her neighbors live inside the complex and she was remaining to discover if they succeeded to get out. An elderly inhabitant, who has resided in building number two of the Wang Fuk Court for more than 40 years, mentioned listening to "a very loud noise" and observing flames ignite in a close structure. "I promptly went to my apartment to collect my possessions," the senior occupant stated. "I don't even know how I emotionally at this moment. I'm just considering about where I'm going to rest overnight because I almost certainly cannot go back home." While the cause of the inferno that engulfed the multiple multi-story structures remains undetermined, the blaze are believed to have spread quickly through the temporary structures that surrounded the complexes, which were in the process of renovations. Numerous residents have expressed frustration that such a large-scale incident could have occurred and challenged the emergency measures. "During there's a forest fire, they will deploy choppers and drop extinguishing materials, but why is there zero response and how can they leave additional complexes burning?" inquired one more inhabitant of the estate. "Our neighborhood is so near to the fire station and we thought the blaze could be controlled soon, but now the blaze has expanded. I'm so disheartened," she explained. The resident mentioned that she had been provided minimal direction from the local administration on where to obtain help. Numerous local inhabitants had provided supplies to the affected individuals - consisting of dozens of blankets and heat packs. During interviews about their emotions regarding the fire, residents expressed that "local administration is incompetent" and that they were "profoundly heartbroken". "We desire not to see any more casualties," said an individual. A senior female who lives in a unit within the impacted buildings explained she was away when the fire broke out but that she is concerned about her home because it is uninsured. "I'm very upset that I have no home to return to currently," she added.