Rescue efforts are ongoing, but the situation remains dire as authorities grapple with the aftermath of the city's deadliest conflagration in seven decades.
THE death toll from a devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has reached 128, with 16 bodies still remaining in the buildings. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but the situation remains dire as authorities grapple with the aftermath of the city’s deadliest conflagration in seven decades. 79 people have been injured, including 12 firefighters, and the status of 200 people remains unclear.
The fire, which broke out in the residential estate undergoing renovations since July 2024, has prompted a full-scale criminal investigation. Authorities believe highly flammable styrofoam material used in the renovation works caused the fire to spread rapidly. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched a corruption probe into the repair works, which had a price tag of HK$330 million.
The ICAC has arrested two directors of Will Power Architects Company, the consultant firm in charge of the renovation project, bringing the total number of arrests to five. Three senior staff members of Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited, including two directors, were arrested earlier for alleged manslaughter. The renovation company is accused of using non-compliant materials in scaffolding nets and sealing windows with styrofoam, which allegedly sparked the tragedy.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has ordered inspections of all public housing estates undergoing major renovations. Preliminary investigations have revealed that highly flammable styrofoam was used to cloak lift windows on every floor, causing the fire to spread rapidly within the blocks and ignite flats through the corridors. The mesh netting and sheeting used outside the buildings also did not meet fire safety standards. Rescue work continues as raging flames in all blocks have been brought under control. Some 56 people remain in hospital.
