"Do we have enough masks now?" a volunteer cried out over the bustle of an improvised relief center in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. Around her, a sea of donations — neat yet chaotic piles of clothes, cardboard boxes, and trolleys laden with unpacked essentials — stood fresh off from donors' hands, awaiting distribution.

The heavily charred shell of Wang Fuk Court loomed nearby, with fires still smoldering on several floors. This five-alarm blaze, which had raged since Wednesday afternoon, was finally extinguished around 10 am on Friday after more than 43 hours.

It has become one of the deadliest fire in Hong Kong's recorded history, claiming at least 128 lives and displacing thousands.

Beyond the fire trucks desperately working to extinguish the flames, some residents stood in silence, watching those hollowed-out windows, from which thin plumes of smoke could be seen. Those were homes mere days ago.

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A world away from the ferocious heat of the still-burning estate, a chill early-winter breeze swept through a temporary donation center off the MTR station of Tai Po Market, marking a stark contrast to the glittering flames. Volunteers sorted and categorized contributions, labeling sections on walls: pillows, towels, masks, medicine, toiletries, shoes, undergarments — dozens of essential items laid out in rows.

Hundreds of meters away, at 11 pm on Thursday, Tung Cheong Street Sports Centre — one of nine temporary shelters — was also filled with people offering help, with more continuing to arrive.

Once in a while, there came with a gentle offering: “Anything I can do to help?”

Next to piles of donated supplies stacked like small mountains, some residents opened up their private electric cars, offering a power supply for free to those in need. A continuously updated list of urgently needed items was posted on the wall. Among the supplies, children's necessities such as gloves and hats had been singled out as a priority, placed in a dedicated area.

Inside the hall, some displaced residents had already settled down to rest, while outside the entrance, professional psychological support staff remained on standby, ready to provide assistance at any moment.

In the deep of the night on Thursday, the work of rescue and supporting pressed on without pause.

When Faye Jiang and her colleagues learned that volunteers were needed to help residents in Tai Po’s fire-hit area on Thursday, they swiftly organized a relief effort.

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The decision to help was made without hesitation after they had arrived at their Admiralty office that morning. They pooled HK$30,000 ($3,854) to purchase supplies and rented a van to deliver them to the site.

They brought necessities such as socks, disposable underwear, fruit and drinks for the residents.

“It’s touching to see so many people voluntarily helping out at such a difficult time,” Jiang told China Daily. “Some of them came from Shenzhen on Wednesday night and have stayed here ever since.”

Ten employees from Jiang’s company — half of the office — took the trip. Like Jiang, who has lived in Hong Kong since 2011, some of them are also originally from the Chinese mainland.

“It is a true embodiment of ‘blood is thicker than water’,” she said.

The tragedy also served as a wake-up call for Jiang’s family. Having lived on a high floor of a residential estate for over 30 years, she became concerned about fire safety. She has since taken the time to familiarize her son and her mother with fire-escape tips.

After hearing the news of the Tai Po fire, 63-year-old Shenzhen resident Zhang Lixin departed around 6 am on Thursday for Hong Kong, carrying bottles of treatment oil for joint pain and blood circulation for the affected older adults.

Zhang told China Daily that he has made similar efforts before, a practice he maintains to offer support wherever possible.

In the neighboring Sha Tin district, students of the Chinese University of Hong Kong began collecting supplies and recruiting volunteers through social media channels hours after the fire broke out at Wednesday. They formed human chains to transport the donation to Tai Po and sort these items. Over 100 student volunteers, and 500 donators had participated in the effort by Friday, with more continuing to join.

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On Friday at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall, another temporary shelter set up by the government, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Joanna Ng and her colleagues launched a volunteer rotation, providing free medical services, including auricular therapy. Early in the morning, her team had prepared nearly 200 servings of herbal tea for affected residents. Ng began her volunteer consultations at 2 pm and had already provided services for more than 10 people by 5 pm.

Around 11:30 pm at Tung Cheong Street Sports Centre, the list of needed items on the wall was still continually refreshed, saying requests now included undergarments, while bottled water was marked as sufficient.

"Are there any chairs for young children?" A call pierced the night. The crowd responded instantly, moving with orderly efficiency. It was a movement of unity, a silent understanding that connected everyone.

Shadow Li, Atlas Shao, and Shan Wenxuan contributed to the story.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com