Canadian watched childhood home burn as Hong Kong blaze killed more than 100 people

Toronto resident Paul Chow was devastated when the apartment where he grew up made international news this week after a raging inferno tore through seven highrise towers in Hong Kong, leaving more than 100 dead and hundreds missing.

It has been a roller-coaster of emotions for Chow, who has gone from worry to sadness, distress and anger as he watched in horror, seeing the place he was born and lived for more than 30 years engulfed in flames, and knowing many of his former neighbours were still unaccounted for.

The deadly fire ripped through much of the eight-block Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday.

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Hong Kong Fire Services says it took firefighters a day to get the fire under control, noting it was fully extinguished by Friday morning, about 40 hours after it started.

Chow says his parents and his sister live on the seventh floor in one of the buildings, and he rushed to get in touch with them immediately as soon as he saw the news.

Fortunately, Chow says his parents were on vacation when the fire broke out, and his sister was at work.

He says that although his loved ones are safe and now temporarily staying at a family member’s home, his parents still aren’t allowed to go inside to check the conditions of the unit.

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He says the inferno has left them heartbroken.

The blaze jumped rapidly from one building to the next as foam panels and bamboo scaffolding covered in green mesh netting installed by a construction company caught fire.

Chow says he believes this is a human-caused incident, and he said this “disaster in Hong Kong history” could have been avoided.

Chow says he hopes the people and companies who are responsible for the tragedy will be held accountable, adding that the Hong Kong government should take more action to ensure affected residents have a warm place to stay as they await compensation.

Global Affairs Canada estimates there are about 300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong.

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