At least 13 dead as massive fire engulfs Hong Kong high-rise apartment buildings

November 26, 2025

Thick smoke and flames rise as fire engulfs high-rise residential buildings at the Wang Fuk Court complex on November 26, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. At least 13 people are dead and dozens of others injured as a major fire engulfed a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on November 26. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

(LONDON) — At least 13 people were killed and dozens of others were injured as a massive fire engulfed a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, according to fire officials.

“A fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po at 2.51 p.m. today … The fire was upgraded to No. 3 alarm at 3.02 p.m., and to No. 4 alarm at 3.34 p.m.,” according to a statement from the Hong Kong government.

By 6:22 p.m. local time the fire had been upgraded again to a No. 5 alarm, city officials said.

At least 13 people were dead, fire officials said in an update at about 8 p.m. local time. About two hours earlier, city officials had released a statement saying at least four people were dead.

Another 28 people were injured, including many who were transferred to two local hospitals, fire officials said.

One of the dead had been a firefighter who was called to the scene from nearby Sha Tin Fire Station, according to Andy Yeung, the director of Fire Services.

Yeung in a statement named the firefighter as Ho Wai-ho, 37, adding that he “was found collapsed at the scene” of the fire. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later died, Yeung said.

“The fire has resulted in many casualties, including a fireman who died in the line of duty,” Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said in a statement posted to social media, “I express my deep sadness and my deep condolences to the families of the dead and the injured.”

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said in a statement that emergency departments were at the scene of the blaze. The fire department was “doing its utmost to put out the fire,” he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to the victims and firefighters who died in the fire in a statement. The president also extended his sympathies to the families of the victims and the affected people.

The statement said Xi had ordered authorities to “do everything possible to ensure search and rescue operations, medical treatment for the injured, and post-disaster relief, and to provide necessary assistance to relevant departments and local authorities to minimize casualties and losses.”

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Karson Yiu contributed to this report.

Senior Hamas officials likely survived Israeli strikes on Doha, Israeli sources say

Security footage captures the moment of an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Security Camera/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(DOHA, Qatar) — Israel has informed the U.S. that the chances of success of its strikes Tuesday on a Hamas residence in Doha, Qatar, have “decreased significantly,” two Israeli sources familiar with the matter told ABC News — likely confirming Hamas’ assertion that the strikes failed to kill top Hamas officials.

Five Hamas members and a Qatari official were killed in the strike. Hamas’ senior leaders survived the strike, Hamas said Tuesday.

“There was a meeting of the negotiating team and some Hamas leaders to discuss the ideas sent by the United States and the paper sent by President Trump,” Hamas political bureau official Suhail al-Hindi told Al Jazeera of when the strike took place.

Among those killed were the son of a senior Hamas leader, Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya — the head of the Hamas movement in Gaza and the head of Hamas’ negotiating team for a ceasefire with Israel — and an aide. Al-Hayya himself survived, according to Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel acted “wholly independently,” and took “full responsibility” for the strike in Doha on Hamas leadership in a brief statement Tuesday.

Netanyahu said he “convened the heads of Israel’s security organizations,” at noon local Israeli time Tuesday and “authorized a surgical precision strike” on Hamas leadership.

The strike targeted the residential headquarters of several members of the Hamas Political Bureau in Doha, according to Qatar.

Israel has faced criticism over the attack, with Arab nations, the United Kingdom and France all condemning the attack that took place on sovereign land.

President Donald Trump said he was “not thrilled” with the Israeli strike in Doha on Tuesday night ahead of a dinner with several members of his Cabinet.

“I’m not thrilled about the whole situation. It’s not a good situation, but I will say this, we want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today,” Trump said.

“I was very unhappy about it, very unhappy about every aspect, and we got to get the hostages back, but I was very unhappy about the way that went down,” Trump said.

Qatar also condemned the attack, saying the “criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar,” a spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.

Qatar said it will continue to mediate ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, as it has done alongside Egypt.

Hamas leadership and its primary negotiators have been based in Doha for years while trying to get a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Israeli officials said the strikes on Doha were “completely justified,” alleging this Hamas leadership initiated and organized the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

“Israel’s security policy is clear — Israel’s long arm will act against its enemies everywhere. There is no place for them to hide,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Wednesday.

“If the Hamas murderers and rapists do not accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and the disarmament of their weapons — they will be destroyed and Gaza will be destroyed,” Katz said.

Qatar is home to the largest U.S. military base in the region. Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by Iran in June in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, with Qatari forces helping the U.S. to intercept the missiles.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. “feels badly” about the location of the attack and added that “unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” in a statement read by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Munich Oktoberfest briefly closes due to bomb threat linked to residential fire, police say

Mkanuel Schwarz/picture alliance via Getty Images

(LONDON) — Munich’s famous Oktoberfest event briefly closed on Wednesday following a bomb threat linked to a fire at a residence in the north of the city, police said.

A 57-year-old German man who police said was behind the threat was found near the residence with a backpack containing an explosive device that had to be defused. He died by suicide, according to Munich police.

Oktoberfest resumed Wednesday afternoon following a search of the grounds involving explosive detection dogs, authorities noted.

“The threat has not been confirmed,” Munich police said.

The man allegedly set fire to the residence during a family dispute in the Lerchenau district of northern Munich early Wednesday before taking his own life near a lake, police said.

Two other people — the suspect’s 81-year-old mother and 21-year-old daughter — were injured during the incident and subsequently hospitalized, according to police.

Officials said they discovered “explosive devices” in the building and that special forces were called in to defuse the bombs.

Police said they also found a letter written by the suspect containing an unspecified threat of explosives related to Oktoberfest, prompting authorities to temporarily close the fairgrounds in the vast Theresienwiese public space for several hours to conduct the searches. The grounds opened at 5:30 p.m. local time.

The investigation is ongoing, officials noted.

In a video statement posted to X, Munich police spokesman Thomas Schelshorn said the “major operation” in Lerchenau had been underway since 4:45 a.m. Wednesday.

“We’ve discovered a burning house, a single-family home, burning cars nearby and a dead man at Lerchenau Lake, which may also be related to this,” Schelshorn said.

“We also have an unspecified threat of explosives for the Theresienwiese,” he added. “That’s why cordoning off and searching measures are taking place here. And that’s also why the Oktoberfest isn’t opening on time today.”

Police said there is no indication of any threat at other Munich locations.

ABC News’ Felix Franz contributed to this report.

Venezuelan government bolsters forces following Trump administration strikes

The Venezuelan Armed Forces and army tanks drive along a highway during a military exercise in Caracas, Venezuela on September 20, 2025. (Photo by Ivan McGregor/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(VENEZUELA) — Venezuelan officials say that they have bolstered their armed forces after the United States conducted another strike on vessel that originated from the country, which he claimed carried drugs.

Venezuelan leaders said roughly 284 battle fronts are operational, poised for either land or sea conflict, two officials with knowledge of the Venezuelan government’s plans told ABC News Friday.

Militias, which are heavily armed, have also been assigned to protect the coastal region at high alert, according to the officials. The officials claimed some 4.5 million militia members were deployed.

Qatar, a key U.S. ally that assisted with negotiations in the Israel-Gaza conflict, is helping with the conversations between the American and Venezuelan governments, the sources said. In the meantime, Venezuelan embassies in Norway and Australia were closed by the government.

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced that it had issued an airstrike against a vessel that originated from Venezuela, claiming it was a drug-smuggling craft operated by narcoterrorists, the sixth such strike since the summer.

At least two survivors from the strike are now in custody aboard an American vessel after being rescued by helicopter, according to a person familiar with details of the incident.

Earlier this week, Trump threatened to attack Venezuela by land, confirmed ongoing covert operations inside the country and ordered bombers to fly in circles off its coast in what appears to be an unprecedented show of force intended to pressure the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, to step down.

“President Trump believes that Nicholas Maduro is an illegitimate president, leading an illegitimate regime that has been trapped in drugs,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

When asked on Friday about the alleged CIA operations in Venezuela, Trump told reporters, “I wouldn’t say that.”

“But some interesting things are happening around the world, I will say that,” he said.

Sources with the Venezuelan government said that Trump’s threat of covert operations is “purely staged,” and refuted the president’s drug trafficking allegations.

When a reporter asked Trump about Maduro offering “everything” including natural resources for mediation, the president shot back:

“He has offered everything. You know why? He doesn’t want to f— around with the United States,” Trump said and ended the news conference.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.