“PRAY with us,” the Archbishop of Hong Kong, the Most Revd Andrew Chan, asked this week, after a fire in which at least 128 people were killed.
The fire broke out in Tai Po, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, on Wednesday. The blaze spread quickly between residential blocks in Wang Fuk Court, leaving only one of the eight towers unaffected.
The complex is home to about 4600 people, according to the most recent census data. In addition to those killed, dozens have been critically injured, and others remain missing.
On Friday, after the fire had been extinguished, local authorities attributed its rapid spread to Styrofoam blocks that had been placed outside the windows of apartments while renovation work was under way.
Initial reports that Hong Kong’s distinctive bamboo scaffolding were to blame have been rejected by many locals, who instead point to the flammability of the netting which was used to cover the bamboo framework, as well as the Styrofoam panels.
Three people from the construction company carrying out work on the buildings have been arrested, and, as firefighters left the site, police investigators began their work. It remains unclear what started the fire.
Local authorities said on Friday that fire alarms across Wang Fuk Court were not working properly.
Community organisations — including the Hong Kong Anglican Church, known as the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) — have rallied to support those displaced by the fire.
On Wednesday, the HKSKH’s Welfare Council initiated a disaster support fund to help with urgent needs, including medical costs and temporary accommodation.
An HKSKH church centre in Tai Po was opened overnight to provide a place for people to rest, and receive emotional support and counselling. A notice posted online said that it would remain open until further notice.
“In this dark moment in time, many across Hong Kong, coming from different backgrounds, have stepped up and contributed in different ways to alleviate the pain of those affected,” Archbishop Chan said in a statement reported by the Anglican Communion News Service.
“As fellow children of God, even though we are separated by geographical distances, I ask of you to pray with us in Hong Kong for the mercy and love of our Lord,” he said.
Archbishop Chan also published a prayer for those who have lost loved ones, those who are missing, and the emergency workers responding to the incident.
The Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum, reposted the prayer on social media, adding: “Prayers ascending for our sisters and brothers in Hong Kong.”
