Hong Kong police arrested 13 people on manslaughter charges Monday in connection with the catastrophic fire at Wang Fu Court, the city’s deadliest blaze since 1948.
The death toll has risen to 151, with 40 still missing. Security chief Chris Tang said some bodies had turned to ash, making full identification impossible.
The blaze and its toll
The fire broke out on 26 November 2025 at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, New Territories, engulfing seven of eight 31-storey towers housing around 4,800 residents. Rescue operations ended Friday, with 79 injured, including 12 firefighters (one critically).
Over 1,000 police aided recovery efforts.
Faulty safety systems and substandard materials
Investigators confirmed the buildings’ fire detection system malfunctioned. Tests showed the green mesh covering bamboo scaffolding failed to meet fire-retardant standards.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan said contractors used flammable foam insulation to seal windows – in hard-to-reach areas hidden from inspectors – accelerating the spread.
Years of ignored warnings
Residents raised fire safety fears over renovations as early as September 2024. The Labour Department replied that mesh was for falling-object protection and construction rules did not cover flammability.
The department now admits the response was “unclear” and caused misunderstanding. It had judged fire risk “relatively low” since no welding occurred, but reminded contractors to implement prevention measures.
Former resident Jacky Cheung shared Reuters video of a worker smoking near scaffolding, verified at Wang Fu Court, though date unknown.
Public outrage and calls for accountability
Sunday saw over 1,000 people queue a kilometre long to lay flowers and notes at the site.
An online petition for an independent probe into corruption and construction oversight gathered over 10,000 signatures before closing. Another with 2,700+ demanded “explicit accountability”.
Arrest of activist Miles Kwan
Police detained 24-year-old Miles Kwan on Saturday for launching the first petition. He was released Monday afternoon without charge.
Amnesty International’s Luk Chi-man condemned the arrest, urging a thorough, independent investigation into the fire’s cause, accountability for those responsible and full public disclosure.
“A healthy society should not have only one voice,” he said.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced a HK$300 million (US$38.6 million) support fund, boosted by public donations to HK$1 billion by 29 November.
Guangdong and Shenzhen fire services lent drones for investigations. Macao’s Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai donated HK$10 million and offered full assistance.
At least 16 heads of state and 52 embassies issued condolences.
The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau suspended four legislative election forums on 27–28 November, plus four more until 30 November.
Source: SkyNews
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