Hong Kong Building Fire Supplies outside a restaurant acting as a temporary shelter as a major fire engulfs several residential buildings on November 27, 2025 in Hong Kong. Photo: VCG

Multiple Chinese mainland-based companies announced on Thursday to provide support following the devastating residential fire in Hong Kong, donating funds for emergency relief, post-disaster recovery, and community mental health assistance. 

Several internet and technology companies, including Tencent, ByteDance, NetEase, Ant Group and Lenovo, have announced to donate from HK$10 million to HK$30 million for emergency relief, transitional resettlement, living supplies replenishment and related support.

Aside from fund donation, Alibaba Group said it has activated its emergency disaster response mechanism, with its subsidiaries such as its delivery firm Cainiao helping mobilize nearby food, bedding, and other emergency supplies to the affected residents in need.

Companies in manufacturing and consumption sector, such as BYD, Geely, Ceres, XPENG, Anta, Mixue Group, among others, have announced their found donation to people affected to the fire. 

Online car hailing platform Didi Hong Kong office said it will coordinate with local government to guide vehicles away from the affected areas via its platform and disseminate official rescue information to ensure safe travel for local residents. Its rescue team is on standby ready to provide help. 

On the night of fire, online retailing platform JD's supermarket in Hong Kong Kai Bo Food Supermarket dispatched the first batch of relief supplies, with a second batch ready for delivery based on on-site needs to ensure basic living support for affected residents. On the morning of Thursday, the supermarket urgently mobilized resources to provide over 500 hot meals to victims and rescuers, said JD's official WeChat account. 

Chinese online travel agency Tongcheng Travel announced a HK$1 million donation through its public welfare foundation, and, together with its Hong Kong units HopeGoo and eLong Hotel Technology, rapidly assembled HK$1 million worth of toiletries and daily necessities for delivery to the disaster-hit areas to support emergency needs and post-disaster recovery, thepaper.cn reported. 

As of press time, the death toll in the Hong Kong fire that tore through a residential area in Hong Kong from Wednesday afternoon had risen to 55, the Fire Services Department (FSD) said in a press briefing on Thursday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The FSD said that 72 people injured in the fire have been sent to hospitals for emergency treatment, including eight firefighters. Some 200 people remain missing.

The residential area Wang Fuk Court consists of eight buildings, all of which were encased by green mesh and scaffolding due to a major renovation project. Three men responsible for the renovations were arrested for suspected manslaughter, as police investigation pointed to the flammable materials covering the buildings as a possible cause for the rapid spread of fire, said the report.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon that the fire at all seven buildings of Wang Fuk Court is now largely under control, and he expressed gratitude for the support offered by various mainland units.

He said the Hong Kong SAR government is drafting a list of required supplies and assistance — including reconnaissance drones, firefighting equipment, conveyor systems, medical antidotes, burn-treatment consumables and laboratory testing materials — which will be submitted to mainland authorities through the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the SAR's emergency response mechanism.

Global Times