Toronto resident Paul Chow was devastated when the apartment he grew up in made international news this week after a raging inferno tore through seven high-rise towers in Hong Kong, leaving more than 100 people dead and hundreds missing.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions for Chow, who went from worry to sadness, anguish and anger, watching in horror as he saw the place where he was born and lived for more than 30 years engulfed in flames and knowing that many of his former neighbors were still missing.
A deadly fire engulfed most of the eight-block Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district on Wednesday.
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Hong Kong fire officials say it took firefighters a day to bring the fire under control, noting it was completely extinguished by Friday morning, about 40 hours after it started.
Chow says his parents and sister live on the seventh floor of one of the buildings, and he immediately rushed to contact them as soon as he saw the news.
Luckily, 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 are now temporarily staying at a family member's home, his parents are still not allowed to go inside to check on the condition of the premises.
He says hell has left them with a broken heart.
The flames quickly spread from one building to another as foam panels and bamboo scaffolding covered with green chicken wire installed by the construction company caught fire.
Chow says he believes this is a human-caused incident and that this “disaster in Hong Kong history” could have been avoided.
Chow says he hopes the people and companies responsible for the tragedy are held accountable, adding that the Hong Kong government should do more to ensure affected residents have a warm place to stay while they await compensation.
Global Affairs Canada estimates that approximately 300,000 Canadians live in Hong Kong.
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