Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has triggered widening investigations into corruption, safety lapses, and possible criminal negligence surrounding a renovation project at a densely populated apartment complex where at least 128 people were killed.
The blaze, which tore through the Wang Fuk Court complex in the northern New Territories on Wednesday, engulfed seven of its eight towers and exposed deep failures in oversight despite residents’ warnings more than a year earlier.
Police initially arrested three men from a construction firm on suspicion of manslaughter and gross negligence. Days later, investigators detained seven more men and one woman—scaffolding subcontractors, engineering consultants, and project managers—on suspicion of corruption linked to the same renovation project.
Documents on the complex’s homeowners association website show Prestige Construction & Engineering Company oversaw the work; police have seized boxes of records from the firm, whose offices rang unanswered on Thursday.
Authorities are now scrutinizing whether materials used during the renovation contributed to the disaster. Police and fire officials say early findings point to a rapid spread that began on lower-level scaffolding netting before igniting foam insulation panels lining exterior surfaces.
Security Secretary Chris Tang said the panels intensified the blaze, shattered windows, and allowed flames to push quickly into the apartments. Fire officials also confirmed that some alarms failed to activate, though they have not disclosed how many.
Residents had long warned of dangers. Documents reviewed by the Associated Press show complaints filed in mid-2024 about the safety of the scaffolding netting.
Hong Kong’s labor department confirmed it had received the reports and conducted 16 inspections, issuing multiple written warnings to contractors. But the department also said the netting met required standards, raising new questions about whether enforcement or compliance ultimately failed.
The fire burned out of control for hours, taking crews nearly a full day to contain and almost 40 hours to fully extinguish. Emergency teams prioritized units from which trapped residents had called, but heavy smoke, collapsing structures, and intense heat hampered access.
Twelve firefighters were injured and one was killed. Even two days later, smoke continued to rise from the blackened frames of the towers.
Search-and-rescue workers have now completed their sweep of the buildings, but officials say the death toll may rise. Authorities are working to identify 89 bodies among nearly 200 people reported missing.
Among the dead were two Indonesian domestic workers; at least 11 other Indonesian migrants remain unaccounted for, according to consular officials.
Families gathered Friday to register for government assistance amid shock and grief. “That’s my home… I still can’t really believe what happened,” said resident Katy Lo, 70, who rushed back to find flames consuming her building.
The government has declared days of mourning, lowered flags to half-staff, and held a three-minute silence led by Chief Executive John Lee.
As investigators probe whether corruption and substandard materials contributed to the catastrophe, the tragedy is renewing scrutiny of building safety, enforcement gaps, and the city’s vulnerability to systemic failures in tightly packed residential neighborhoods.
The blaze is Hong Kong’s worst since a 1996 commercial fire that killed 41 people; only a 1948 warehouse fire, which claimed 176 lives, was deadlier.
