A deadly fire broke out in the Hong Kong Tai Po Wang Fuk Court on November 26, reaching a magnitude of 5. By the early hours of November 28, the death toll had risen to 83. The cause of the fire has raised significant concerns, with a focus on whether substandard scaffolding nets were used in the construction. As of the morning of the 28th, the latest update reported a total of 94 fatalities.
The Fire Services Department reported that the fire had claimed the lives of 83 individuals, including one firefighter, by midnight. The Hospital Authority stated that over 70 injured individuals, including 11 firefighters, were being treated. Among the injured, 12 were in critical condition, 28 were severely injured, 17 were stable, and 21 had been discharged.
In addition, firefighters rescued a male survivor on the 16th floor stairwell of the Wang Fuk Court around 6:45 pm.
Residents continued to visit temporary shelters at night to register information and search for missing family members. Some residents shared the heart-wrenching news of still not being able to locate their loved ones, while a mother shed tears upon learning of her infant’s tragic loss in the fire.
The Fire Services Department held a press conference at the scene of the fire on the afternoon of the 27th to provide updates on the firefighting and rescue progress. Deputy Director of Fire Services (Public Safety and Institution Strategy) Wong Ka-wing reported that out of the 8 buildings, one remained unaffected by the fire, 4 had been largely extinguished, and efforts to control the fire in the remaining 3 buildings had been effective.
Wong mentioned the challenges faced during the rescue operation, including the extensive area covered by the building facades, clad with a large amount of bamboo scaffolding and canvas that led to rapid fire spread, making firefighting within the large fire scene difficult. He emphasized the high temperatures inside the fire zone required a tactical approach of advancing layer by layer, posing difficulties but progressing smoothly within the remaining buildings. Furthermore, the handling of a large number of injured individuals required a phased approach.
Concerns were raised regarding the possibility of the fire being related to the use of non-flame-retardant scaffolding nets. During firefighting efforts, firefighters discovered that some building materials on the external walls were more flammable and prone to spreading compared to compliant materials, marking an “unusual” phenomenon. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions has urged relevant departments to promptly investigate the cause of the incident, including the compliance of the protective nets used in the scaffolding.
Heung Bing-man, the chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Scaffolders Union, noted in a radio program earlier on the 27th that flame-retardant scaffolding nets, measuring 18 meters by 2 meters, cost approximately 75 to 90 Hong Kong dollars per sheet, while the non-flame-retardant type of the same size ranged from 40 to over 50 Hong Kong dollars per sheet, marking a significantly lower cost. He did not rule out the possibility of some individuals taking risks during construction to cut costs.
Benny Poon Cheuk-hung, a construction industry figure and chairman of “Center for Construction Safety (中科監察),” raised doubts about Wang Fuk Court’s failure to use flame-retardant scaffolding nets, leading to the fire. He directly named Fire Services Department Director Yang Ngan-kin, accusing him of refusing to address the issue of scaffolding contributing to the fire.
Poon posted on his Facebook, stating that regulations stipulate the mandatory use of flame-retardant scaffolding nets for any scaffolding erected on buildings in use. He cited an example from the 2024 Fa Yuen Tsui Wo Court fire incident where substandard scaffolding nets were found, despite lodging multiple complaints to the Fire Services Department, Labour Department, and Buildings Department investigation unit, no actions were taken, allegedly shielding the contractors. He also revealed email screenshots from June last year where he repeatedly raised fire safety concerns with Yang Ngan-kin but received no response.
He continued by emphasizing the consequences of officials neglecting their duties during the Tsui Wo Court incident, fostering a culture where maintenance sector disregards legal requirements, assuming the government will not enforce them. As a result, tragedy struck at Wang Fuk Court! He demanded accountability and apologies from the negligent officials for disregarding people’s lives.
Michael Li Kwong-sing, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Safety Practitioners, indicated on the radio in the morning that flame-retardant scaffolding nets extinguished within about 4 seconds upon leaving the fire source. Observing the inferno at Wang Fuk Court, he expressed doubts that flame-retardant nets were used.
Some construction documents circulating online revealed that the scaffolding protective nets in the recent fire were manufactured by a Shandong nylon net producer, with flame-retardant certification issued by the Shandong Binzhou Laboratory (CNAS accredited), replacing the traditional HOKLAS standard in Hong Kong. Netizens questioned whether cost-cutting measures led to inadequate fire resistance due to potentially compromised scaffolding materials during construction, yet these claims remain unverified at present.
The Hong Kong Housing Department and Buildings Department have set up an independent review group to investigate whether the building’s external facade protection materials comply with approved flame-retardant standards and conduct laboratory analysis on collected samples.
Currently, the police have arrested three individuals from the construction company, including two directors and one engineering consultant. Authorities believe that the company’s executives were “grossly negligent,” possibly leading to “manslaughter.”