Pope Leo XIV prays for victims as Hong Kong mourns at least 55 dead and hundreds missing after massive fire engulfs Tai Po public housing estate.
Newsroom (27/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV has sent a message of spiritual solidarity to the people of Hong Kong following a catastrophic fire that has claimed at least 55 lives and left nearly 300 others unaccounted for in the city’s Tai Po district.
In a telegram released Thursday and addressed to Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, Bishop of Hong Kong, the pontiff expressed profound sadness at the tragedy and assured victims of his prayers.
Signed on the Pope’s behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the message reads: “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends the assurance of his spiritual solidarity to all those suffering from the effects of this calamity, especially the injured and the families who grieve the loss of loved ones.”
The Pope commended the souls of the deceased to God’s mercy, offered prayers for emergency personnel, and invoked “divine blessings of strength, consolation, and peace” upon the affected community.
The blaze, which erupted Wednesday afternoon at Wang Fuk Court — an eight-block public housing estate undergoing renovation — rapidly engulfed seven of the 31-storey towers. Bamboo scaffolding and flammable foam packaging left by maintenance workers are believed to have accelerated the fire’s spread, authorities said.
By Thursday morning, Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department had raised the confirmed death toll to 55, including a 37-year-old firefighter who succumbed to severe burns. At least 56 people remain hospitalized, with 16 in critical condition and 24 listed as serious.
City leader John Lee reported that 279 residents were initially unaccounted for, though firefighters later made contact with some. More than 900 displaced residents sought refuge in temporary shelters overnight.
Police arrested three men Thursday on suspicion of “gross negligence” after allegedly leaving combustible materials at the site. Officers raided premises in another district, seizing documents related to the suspects.
Eyewitness accounts described scenes of chaos: thick black smoke pouring from multiple towers, burning debris raining down, and desperate residents phoning elderly neighbors trapped behind sealed windows installed during the renovation work.
“The windows were closed because of the maintenance… some people didn’t know there was a fire,” said 65-year-old resident Yuen, who has lived in the complex for over 40 years. “I’m devastated.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping also extended condolences, specifically mentioning the firefighter who died in the line of duty, according to state media.
Once plagued by deadly high-rise infernos, Hong Kong had seen such large-scale residential fires become rare following stricter safety regulations in recent decades. Wednesday’s disaster marks the city’s worst fire in living memory.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News and UCA News
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