Winnie Hui collapsed in front of the cameras. "My baby died", she blurted out early yesterday morning to a group of journalists in front of the buildings that were still burning more than 30 hours after the worst fire in recent history in Hong Kong. "I am the mother who has not stopped posting photos on social media. I wanted to find my baby," she continued. Her six-month-old daughter, Ho Tsz-yan, was in the care of her grandparents while the parents were at work.
"The last call with my mother-in-law was at 3:02 p.m. on Wednesday. She told me there was a lot of smoke outside and that they were going to try to leave to move to another safer apartment, away from the fire. But shortly after, I lost contact and heard nothing more," she recounted. Winnie's grandparents and daughter were on the 21st floor of the residential complex, devastated by the fire. Firefighters confirmed that on that level they found the bodies of a baby and an adult.
As Thursday dawned, firefighters continued to recover bodies from the buildings, while other rescue teams searched the charred homes for possible survivors. In the early hours, there was still fire on the upper floors of one of the seven blocks destroyed by the flames. The death toll continues to rise. Official figures today speak of at least 128 people dead and dozens missing.
Winnie had posted many photos of her daughter and her in-laws on social media hoping they were alive and that someone would recognize them at one of the centers where survivors have been relocated. Posts about elderly people, children, and pets still missing circulate incessantly on social media. "It's been almost 30 hours and I still haven't found my baby. I fear there is no hope anymore", wrote another mother on Facebook.
In an interview with the BBC, 45-year-old Chung recounted how his wife was trapped in the fire and, for several hours, he was in constant contact with her by phone until the call suddenly cut off. "She told me she was feeling unwell, that she was about to faint because there was more and more smoke in the house; she's probably not alive anymore," he said.
The public housing complex ravaged by the fire consisted of eight 31-story towers, with around 2,000 apartments housing about 4,800 people. The majority of residents were elderly. According to the census, over 36% are 65 years old or older.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but authorities have attributed the rapid spread to negligence in ongoing renovation work since 2024: the buildings were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding covered with green mesh, and polystyrene was used to seal windows and panels on each floor. Both highly flammable materials acted as accelerants. The presence of plastic nets and tarpaulins also played a role.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced the immediate replacement of the bamboo scaffolding, historically considered an important part of the local heritage, being used in over a hundred works in the city.
In the city, bamboo has traditionally been the preferred material for scaffolding (cheap, abundant, and flexible), tied with nylon ropes. In mainland China, this material has been replaced for years by non-flammable and more resistant metal clamps. However, Hong Kong, despite its modernity, has maintained the bamboo scaffolding network.
On Thursday, leader Lee announced that the local government would establish a $300 millionHong Kong fund (around 33 million euros) to assist affected residents. Authorities announced a criminal investigation, and three people -two directors and a consultant from the contracting company responsible for the building renovation- were arrested for involuntary manslaughter.
The tragedy -the deadliest in Hong Kong since the 1940s- has sparked a wave of public outrage, criticism of the authorities, and a new debate on public housing safety, construction standards, and oversight of works.