Hong Kong —

In just a few short hours on Wednesday afternoon, what began as a small fire on the first floor of an apartment building swelled into a raging inferno that consumed seven high-rise towers on a Hong Kong public housing estate.

At least 128 people have died, as many as 200 are missing, and thousands are now homeless in a city that is chronically short of space – and where property prices are among the world’s most expensive.

The blaze has also stunned Hong Kong, which has a strong safety record and is unused to disasters on this scale.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. But the buildings in the complex had all been under renovation, with many windows blocked by highly flammable polystyrene that authorities say helped fuel the fire.

That, and a series of other safety s

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