A devastating fire at a housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has claimed 44 lives, among them firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died while attempting to rescue trapped residents.
Ho, who was due to marry his long-time girlfriend next month after more than a decade together, has become a symbol of heroism across the city. News of his sacrifice has sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from colleagues, residents and the wider Hong Kong community.
His fiancée broke her silence with an emotional social media post, calling Ho her “superhero” and saying he had “completed his mission and returned to Krypton.” She thanked the public for their concern but said she needed time to cope with the sudden loss, expressing her wish to hold his hand just once more.
A photo of Ho in uniform lifting his fiancée—captioned “I’ll still say ‘Love U’ a hundred times”—has gone viral, now steeped in heartbreak.
According to reports, Ho was deployed at 3.01pm to battle the fire at Wang Fuk Court. Less than 30 minutes after entering the building, contact was lost. He was found at 4.01pm near the lift lobby with severe burns and rushed to hospital, but died from his injuries at 4.45pm.
The tragedy has deeply shaken Hong Kong, with many honouring Ho’s bravery and mourning the loss of lives in one of the city’s deadliest residential fires.
