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Tai Po housing estate fire in Hong KongCEFR A1
19 Dec 2025
Adapted from Kelly Yu, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Hayley Kee, Unsplash
Level A1 – BeginnerCEFR A1
1 min
59 words
- A large fire burned in the Tai Po estate.
- The blaze spread through many flats and stairwells.
- Many people died in the fire.
- Some residents were trapped by smoke and heat.
- The fire alarm did not warn everyone.
- Rescuers found helpers with their employers.
- Many people lost papers, jobs and belongings.
- Charities and social workers are helping survivors now.
Difficult words
- estate — an area with many homes or buildings
- blaze — a very large and dangerous fire
- stairwell — a vertical space in a building with stairsstairwells
- trap — to stop a person from getting outtrapped
- rescuer — a person who saves others from dangerRescuers
- survivor — a person who lives after a dangerous eventsurvivors
- belonging — personal things that a person ownsbelongings
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you have a fire alarm at home?
- Have you practiced leaving a building by the stairs?
- What would you take first if you had to leave home quickly?
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