Nov. 27, 2025, 2:37 AM EST / Updated Nov. 27, 2025, 12:32 PM ESTBy Jennifer Jett, Peter Guo, Ed Flanagan and Jay GanglaniHONG KONG — The deadly inferno that tore through a high-rise housing estate in Hong Kong killed at least 83 people, authorities said, with dozens of residents still feared trapped on upper floors.Authorities arrested three people and launched a criminal investigation into the blaze, the Chinese territory’s deadliest in seven decades, which firefighters have been battling for more than 24 hours.The fire at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po is nearly extinguished, said Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services, in an update early Friday local time.Firefighters were still searching the building for residents trapped by the intense heat and thick smoke that was pouring out of the complex on Thursday, and Chan said debris and scaffolding falling from upper floors had complicated rescue efforts. At least 72 people were injured in the fire.A 48-year-old woman named Cindy, who declined to give her full name for privacy reasons, said she grew up in Wang Fuk Court and felt “very sad” and “helpless” to see her parents’ home completely burned down.Cindy told NBC News on a sidewalk across from the affected buildings that her family managed to escape and was now safe. “I really hope there are survivors. I’m wishing for a miracle to happen,” she added. “No one in the world can sleep now.”