HONG KONG —
A catastrophic fire ripped through one of Hong Kong’s largest residential complexes late Tuesday evening, trapping hundreds of residents inside and leaving emergency crews racing against time in what officials are already calling one of the worst urban disasters in the city’s modern history.
The blaze, which began shortly after 7:40 p.m., consumed the Harborview Towers mega-complex — a pair of 60-story high-rises containing nearly 2,000 apartments, most of them densely occupied families, migrant workers, and elderly residents.
Family games
As thick black smoke swallowed the skyline, screams echoed from balconies several stories above the reach of rescue ladders. Witnesses described the scene as “a living nightmare.”
A VISIT THAT TURNED TRAGIC
Among the hundreds believed to be trapped or missing is Mei-Ling Zhao, a well-known philanthropist and wife of tech entrepreneur Daniel Zhao, founder of the global robotics firm Z-Tech Industries.
According to the family spokesperson, Mei-Ling had been visiting relatives on the 48th floor of the west tower when the fire broke out.
Daniel Zhao, who rushed to the site minutes after news reached him, appeared visibly shaken as he spoke briefly to reporters through tears.
“My wife… my family… they were just visiting. I begged them to take the stairs, but the smoke— the smoke was everywhere.”
—Daniel Zhao
He was unable to continue and was escorted away by security.
As of this report, neither Mei-Ling nor the three relatives she was visiting have been located.
HOW THE FIRE SPREAD SO FAST
Preliminary analysis from the Hong Kong Fire Services Department suggests the inferno began in a 12th-floor utility corridor, possibly due to an electrical explosion. Within minutes, fire raced upward through vertical maintenance shafts that lacked adequate fire-stopping seals.
The result was a chimney effect that funneled flames and smoke into dozens of floors almost simultaneously.
Chief Fire Officer Adrian Wong described the situation bluntly:
“This building was a trap. It burned vertically and internally. People didn’t even know the fire reached their floor until the alarm went silent.”
A surviving maintenance worker, 26-year-old Liu Fen, said he smelled burning plastic moments before a blast knocked him to the ground.
“The walls caught fire like paper,” he said. “I tried to warn people, but the smoke came so fast you couldn’t see your hand.”
HUNDREDS TRAPPED — MANY STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR
By midnight, more than 1,100 residents had been safely evacuated, including infants, wheelchair users, and several people carried out unconscious.
But officials confirmed over 300 remain unaccounted for, and the true number could be higher, given the complex’s labyrinthine layout and numerous unregistered tenants.
Families gathered outside police barriers could be heard shouting names, holding photos, or pleading with officers for updates.
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One elderly man, Mr. Chou, sobbed while clutching a framed portrait of his daughter:
“She said the hallway was full of smoke. She said she couldn’t find the stairs. Then the line went dead…”
Rescue teams continued cutting through scorched stairwells and forcing open jammed apartment doors through the night.
HEROIC RESCUES IN THE SMOKE
Amid the chaos, acts of bravery emerged.
Firefighter Carmen Yip, covered in soot, described carrying a terrified seven-year-old girl down 43 flights of partly collapsed stairs.
“She kept asking where her mother was,” Yip said, her voice breaking. “I didn’t have an answer.”
Another team used a thermal drone to detect survivors waving from a smoke-choked balcony on the 52nd floor. Three people were rescued via a daring rope operation after the helicopter pilot deemed it too dangerous to hover near the structure.
Residents formed human chains to guide elderly neighbors through dark hallways, using wet towels as makeshift masks. One resident, Arjun Patel, said he smashed through a locked fire door when he heard children crying on the other side.
“No one should die alone behind a locked door,” he said.
CRITICISM OVER SAFETY FAILURES
Questions are already mounting about the building’s safety.
Documents obtained by this newspaper show the complex had failed two fire-safety inspections in the last three years, including issues with outdated sprinklers and blocked evacuation routes.
The property management company, Harborview Development Group, issued a brief statement claiming they “followed all legal requirements” and were “cooperating fully with authorities.”
But residents strongly dispute this.
“The alarms went off for only 20 seconds,” said resident Joanna Fok, who escaped from the 27th floor. “Then everything went dark.”
Rumors circulated among survivors that some fire doors had been illegally propped open to improve ventilation — a violation that could have accelerated the spread of smoke.
The Hong Kong Chief Executive announced an emergency inquiry:
“If negligence is found, those responsible will face severe criminal charges.”
A CITY IN SHOCK
As dawn broke, the two towers stood as blackened skeletons against the pale morning sky. Streams of water poured from shattered windows. Burned debris littered the surrounding streets. The smell of melted wiring and scorched metal hung thick in the air.
Hong Kong residents across the city awoke to push notifications announcing the tragedy. Morning commuters stopped in disbelief at public screens broadcasting live footage of firefighters still battling hotspots.
Candlelight vigils began forming outside the emergency barriers. Volunteers handed out water bottles, blankets, masks, and portable phone chargers to the waiting families.
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THE SEARCH FOR MEI-LING ZHAO CONTINUES
As officials updated the missing-persons list, the name Mei-Ling Zhao appeared among the dozens marked as “location unknown.”
Her husband, Daniel, returned briefly to the barricade around 5:30 a.m., standing silently with his hands clasped, staring up at the smoldering tower where his wife had last been seen.
A family assistant, who requested anonymity, said:
“He blames himself for not insisting she stay home. He keeps saying he should have driven her himself.”
Friends describe Mei-Ling as a “joyful, compassionate soul,” known for volunteering in elderly housing centers and donating medical equipment to rural clinics.
“She was only visiting relatives,” said neighbor Hui-San Lam, wiping tears. “A normal visit. A normal day. Then everything changed.”
HONG KONG BRACES FOR A LONG, PAINFUL RECOVERY
Experts warn the death toll may rise sharply as search teams reach the most heavily affected upper floors. Structural engineers are evaluating whether parts of the towers might collapse, complicating rescue efforts.
Hospitals across Hong Kong reported admitting over 180 injured, many suffering from severe smoke inhalation, burns, or trauma from escaping through collapsed stairwells.
The government has mobilized shelters for displaced families, while psychological counselors arrived on scene to help parents, children, and elders in shock.
International offers of assistance poured in from Japan, Singapore, the EU, and the United States.
AN UNFOLDING HUMAN TRAGEDY
As evening approaches once again, the fire’s full scale remains uncertain. What is clear is that hundreds of families face a nightmare no one could have imagined: homes lost, loved ones missing, futures changed in a single night.
At the heart of it all stands the silhouetted structure of Harborview Towers — a grim monument to the fragility of urban life, and to the courage of those still fighting inside.
For Daniel Zhao and countless others waiting at the barricades, every minute feels like a lifetime.
“I just want her to come home,” he whispered to reporters before stepping away.
The search continues.
