There has been an outpouring of sympathy for the Hong Kong fires in mainland China, and people are closely following news of the tragedy.
The fire in China’s semi-autonomous city is the deadliest to hit the country in a decade. Incidents like this are not uncommon in China, but they also occur in Hong Kong, which is known for its safe environment.
The Chinese government immediately expressed concern, with leader Xi Jinping urging “all-out efforts” to minimize casualties and earmarking 2 million yuan ($282,470) in emergency aid for the Red Cross.
Chinese tech giants and entrepreneurs are also pouring donations into rescue and relief efforts.
According to state media, residents of Shenzhen, a neighboring metropolis across the border from Hong Kong, also coordinated the delivery of supplies to shelters set up for evacuees.
Gao Yuxin, an 18-year-old student from the southeastern Chinese city of Fuzhou, told CNN he was “heavy-hearted” after hearing about the deadly fire.
“I don’t know how to help. I feel helpless and there’s not much I can do from the mainland,” Gao added, noting that some of her friends in Hong Kong had volunteered to help.
Hashtags related to the fire on social media platform Weibo, such as X, have garnered well over 1 billion views.
Some online commentators questioned why Hong Kong was still using bamboo scaffolding, drawing similarities to the 2010 Shanghai fires that killed 58 people. Authorities linked the incident to unauthorized electric welding that ignited bamboo boards and other flammable materials on the scaffolding.
In 2022, Chinese authorities banned the use of bamboo scaffolding in residential and municipal projects.
But that is not the case in Hong Kong, where a criminal investigation into the cause of Wednesday’s fire focuses on bamboo scaffolding and other construction materials that surrounded the housing complex.
