In Hong Kong, two days later, a deadly fire in a residential complex was extinguished. What the media is writing

A fire in a multi-storey residential complex in Hong Kong has been localized two days after it started. At least 128 people have been declared dead, and about 200 more are still missing. The fire quickly spread through the seven towers through bamboo scaffolding, which is one of the symbols of the city. How the world's media reacts to the worst fire in the modern history of Hong Kong — in the Izvestia digest.

The Guardian: the rescue operation has been completed, the death toll has reached 128 people

The death toll from the fire in an apartment complex in Hong Kong, which began on November 26, has increased to 128 people, about 200 people are missing. The rescue operation was declared completed. Firefighters combed high-rise buildings on Friday morning, trying to find at least someone alive after a massive fire that spread to seven of the eight towers, becoming one of the deadliest fires in the history of the city. So far, only some of the names of the victims are known to the public.

Most of the dead were found in two of the seven towers that caught fire, and most of the survivors were evacuated from the rest. The number of missing persons has not been updated since Thursday morning, when it exceeded 250 people. At the moment, there is at least one Indonesian citizen among the dead, many of whom work as servants in such apartments. A representative of the non-governmental organization Mission for Migrant Workers said that of the 119 people living in the building, 11 Indonesians and 19 Filipinos are missing.

CNN: Hong Kong has experienced its deadliest fire in decades

For half an hour, as the fire spread and engulfed a nearby building, a man surnamed Wan watched TV at home, unaware of the danger. Even when he heard the noise outside and sirens in the distance, he chalked it up to a typical noisy day in Hong Kong. It was only when he heard screams for help that he looked out the window of his apartment on the eighth floor and saw smoke. Wang grabbed his two dogs and his wallet and ran down the emergency stairs, which had a burning smell. Just a few minutes after the evacuation, the fire was assigned the fourth level of difficulty out of five possible.

Stunned residents were confronted with the incredible speed of the spread of fire, which engulfed seven of the eight buildings of the complex in a matter of hours. At the moment, three arrests have been made, criminal and anti-corruption investigations have been launched, and the Government is facing increasing public pressure to answer questions. After spending the night at the shelter, Wang and his wife found themselves among hundreds of residents desperately waiting for news.

Reuters: the fire occurred after a year of complaints about safety violations

Residents of an apartment complex engulfed by the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in the last seven decades received reports from authorities last year that they had a "relatively low risk of fire" after repeated complaints about the risk of fire caused by ongoing renovation work. Information about complaints about repairs that have been ongoing since September 2024 has been confirmed by the City Labor Department.

Hong Kong police said the exterior walls of the buildings "were covered with protective nets, membranes, waterproof tarpaulins and plastic sheets, presumably not complying with fire safety standards." Three people associated with the renovation contractor Prestige Construction have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. The exact cause of the fire has not been determined, but it is known that the fire quickly spread through the outer forests.

The New York Times: a survivor of the fire told about a broken alarm system

Most of the windows in Lau Yu Hung's apartment on the 19th floor were sealed with thin foam during a large-scale renovation of the building. A 78-year-old pensioner accidentally looked out of the bathroom window and noticed flames that were already rising in the neighboring building. Lau Yu Hung and his wife were lucky that they were able to evacuate. It is assumed that many of the missing were trapped on the upper floors of the buildings, which were typical apartment buildings that filled one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

79-year-old minibus driver Lau Van King did not live in the burnt-out complex, but he spent 12 hours behind a police cordon because his son-in-law was missing. He lived in the first building that caught fire. The son-in-law informed Lau Wang King that it was difficult for him to get out of the apartment on the eighth floor because the building was already filled with smoke. The driver added that this was their last conversation. He hasn't been able to contact him since.

Short-circuit or wiring: a hostel in the north-west of Moscow was extinguished

Four helicopters and a train were involved in extinguishing the fire

Associated Press: Bamboo forests were the hallmark of Hong Kong

Bamboo is a fast—growing plant with tall, hollow stems and strong fibers. The racks obtained from three—year-old plants are light, inexpensive and easy to transport. Bamboo poles interconnected with wire and other durable materials are often seen on construction sites in Asia, and they are easier to install and dismantle in the confined spaces of a densely populated city like Hong Kong.

A memorandum from the Hong Kong Minister of Development, published in March, noted that the city plans to "gradually introduce a wider use of metal scaffolding in the construction of public buildings." According to the Construction Industry Council, 2,500 bamboo scaffolding workers are registered in Hong Kong. Since 2018, accidents related to them have claimed the lives of 23 people. Mayor John Lee said that officials had met with industry representatives to discuss the transition to metal scaffolding.