Shek Kip Mei fire

The Shek Kip Mei fire (Chinese: 石硤尾大火) took place in Hong Kong on 25 December 1953.

It destroyed the Shek Kip Mei shanty town of immigrants from mainland China who had fled to Hong Kong, leaving over 53,000 people homeless.

[2] After the fire, the governor Alexander Grantham launched a public housing programme to introduce the idea of "multi-storey building" for the immigrant population living there.

The standardised new structures offered fire- and flood-resistant construction to previously vulnerable hut dwellers.

[3] Alongside a huge volunteer effort, the council spent nearly HK$16 million in relief work.