'My superhero': Girlfriend mourns loss of firefighter killed in Hong Kong blaze
Ho Wai-ho, 37, was found with burns to his face on the ground floor of a residential complex that was consumed by fire.
Firefighter Ho Wai-ho died while battling the fire at Wang Fuk Court on Nov 26, 2025. (Photos: Threads/@cacmama, AFP)
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Pride mingled with grief as the family and loved ones of the Hong Kong firefighter who died while battling Wednesday (Nov 26)’s disastrous high-rise inferno shared their feelings of tragic loss.
The girlfriend of the deceased firefighter Ho Wai-ho posted a heartfelt message on social media on Thursday, revealing her grief and longing for her boyfriend.
"I really, really want to be able to hold your hand again," she wrote, adding that she "could not accept" what had happened and wished to "take a break" from the internet.
Ho was pronounced dead at Prince of Wales Hospital at 4.45pm on Wednesday - nearly 45 minutes after the 37-year-old was found with burns to his face on the ground floor of Wang Cheong House.
The No 5 alarm inferno in Tai Po had claimed at least 94 lives, including Ho, and left dozens hospitalised as of Thursday evening, while full-scale rescue operations were still underway.
Ho had served in the Fire Services Department for nine years and was stationed at Sha Tin Fire Station when he was dispatched to the blaze.
He arrived at the scene at 3.01pm to combat the fire on the ground floor but lost contact with his colleagues at 3.30pm.
His girlfriend expressed pride in Ho’s dedication to duty, calling him a "superhero".
"My superhero has finished his mission and returned to Krypton. You’re my pride!" she wrote.
Social media users flooded her post with messages of sympathy, calling Ho a hero and expressing solidarity with her grief.
"He isn’t just your superhero, he’s also our superhero. [It’s] OK to not be OK, take care," one user wrote.
Another user, who referred to Ho as "brother", also made a post remembering the firefighter before deleting it after it went viral.
"[Your] shift’s over, please rest well bro," the post read.
The post also included a photo of Ho in uniform and began, "please remember well what a hero looks like", thanking the firefighter for his sacrifice.
"Brothers from Yan Oi Tong are all proud of you. See you in our next lives, gorilla," the post concluded.
Another person, who identified herself as Ho’s younger cousin, also shared her sorrow on social media, expressing disbelief and longing for her relative.
"When I was young, I found you annoying and pretentious, but now I think you’re incredibly cool. You’re the coolest..." she wrote.
"But I don’t want to feel you’re cool because of this…"
She said news of her cousin’s death had shocked her and that she wished he could have returned safely from duty.
Her post was similarly inundated with kind messages from online users, some revealing their own connections to Ho.
Others who said they were Ho’s classmates or former colleagues expressed their shock at his passing and urged her to take care.
This article was first published on SCMP.
