A devastating fire in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court residential complex has killed at least 94 people, left hundreds missing, and prompted tens of millions of dollars in donations from Chinese private firms to aid rescue and relief efforts.

Corporate Donations

Major pledges include:

• Alibaba Group & Ant Group: HK$30 million each, with Alibaba founder Jack Ma donating an additional HK$30 million via his charity foundation.
• Anta Group: HK$30 million in cash and equipment.
• Xiaomi Corp & ByteDance: HK$10 million each.
• Tencent: Initially HK$10 million, later increased to HK$30 million.

Over 40 private enterprises have collectively donated over HK$600 million. Private equity firms and philanthropists, such as HongShan Capital Group and Jean Eric Salata of EQT Asia, contributed HK$10 million each for psychological support, education for displaced children, and financial aid for victims’ families.

President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to reduce casualties, urging authorities and organizations to provide necessary support, which spurred the wave of donations.

Other Notable Corporate Contributions

• Wens Foodstuff: HK$40 million
• S.F. Holding: HK$20 million
• Xtep Group: HK$20 million
• AIA Hong Kong: HK$20 million
• CATL: HK$15 million
• BYD, Geely, NetEase, Trip.com: HK$10 million each

This surge in corporate philanthropy aligns with Beijing’s push for private firms to prioritize social responsibility, amid tighter regulatory scrutiny. High-profile Chinese entrepreneurs like Lei Jun (Xiaomi), Wang Xing (Meituan), and Zhang Yiming (ByteDance) have increasingly pledged personal fortunes to social causes in recent years.

The Fire Incident

• Location: Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po district, northern Hong Kong
• Complex Size: 8 towers, 4,600 residents, 2,000 apartments
• The fire may have started on bamboo scaffolding and spread through wooden poles and protective netting.
• Authorities cited “grossly negligent” construction practices, including the use of highly flammable foam and plastic mesh.
• Three men from the construction company have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong since 1948, when a warehouse blaze killed 176 people. Firefighters worked for nearly a full day to bring four of the seven affected blocks under control, with operations continuing in remaining areas.

This tragedy has sparked scrutiny over public housing safety standards in Hong Kong, while the unprecedented wave of donations highlights the role of Chinese private firms and philanthropists in disaster relief.