Deadly fire breaks out in Hong Kong flats clad in bamboo scaffolding

The fire started at Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district on 26 November, according to the government and Fire Services Department.

There is not yet an official figure on how many people are trapped inside the 31-storey towers, according to Reuters.

Local media reported that the units, occupied since 1983, were undergoing renovations. Several units are clad in bamboo scaffolding, with reports suggesting that it may have contributed to the spread of the fire.

Flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Eyewitnesses reported frames of the scaffolding falling to the ground as firefighters tackled the blaze.

Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.

The Hong Kong government started phasing out the city’s use of the material for scaffolding in March, citing safety concerns.

It announced that 50% of new public works contracts, with tenders invited on or after 21 March 2025, would be required to adopt metal scaffolding “to enhance site safety”.

But in a written response provided in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council in July 2025, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Mr Chris Sun said that there was “no intention” to ban the use of bamboo scaffolds “at this moment”.

The fire department said it received reports at 2:51pm local time that a fire had broken out in Wang Fuk Court. It was upgraded to a No. 5 alarm, the highest, at 6:22pm.

Hong Kong’s Transport Department said that due to the fire an entire section of the Tai Po road, one of Hong Kong’s two main highways, has been closed and buses are being diverted.

Flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu