Hong Kong, 26th November 2025 – A fire broke out this afternoon at the Grand Blessings Estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong and quickly spread, escalating to a level 5 alarm by evening. The blaze has resulted in the tragic death of 36 people, with over 30 individuals injured and at least 209 people missing.
Chairman of “Construction Supervision of China,” who himself is a construction businessman, Mr. Pan Zhuohong, questioned the use of non-flame retardant scaffolding nets in the construction of the Grand Blessings Estate, attributing it to the cause of the fire. He specifically mentioned the Director of the Fire Services Department, Mr. Yang Enjian, accusing him of persistently ignoring the issue of scaffolding nets aiding in combustion.
In a post on his Facebook, Mr. Pan stated that according to regulations, flame retardant scaffolding nets are required when constructing scaffolding on buildings that are in use by people. However, it is not necessary for construction sites without civilian usage.
He cited the overnight four-alarm fire at the Tsim Sha Tsui Seamen’s Club Hotel construction site in 2023 and the three-alarm fire at the Central Wah May Building last month as examples, pointing out that these sites did not utilize flame-retardant scaffolding nets.
Mr. Pan revealed that irregular scaffolding nets were discovered in the construction of the Fire Dragon Estates in 2024. Despite multiple complaints lodged with the Fire Services Department, Labor Department, and Independent Commission Against Corruption, the officials turned a blind eye and protected the construction contractors.
He further emphasized that due to the dereliction of duty at Fire Dragon Estates, maintenance companies operated with impunity, believing that the government would not enforce legal requirements. As a result, the tragedy unfolded at the Grand Blessings Estate. Mr. Pan directly implicated Yang Enjian as one of the negligent officials and criticized those neglecting their duties for disregarding the lives of citizens, demanding accountability and apologies to the public.
In addition, Mr. Pan shared a screenshot of an email he sent to Yang Enjian in June of the previous year, stating that he had previously emailed Yang three times in May warning of fire hazards at the Fire Dragon Estates but received no response. The email highlighted the responsibility of the Director of the Fire Services Department to eliminate fire risks and approve the use of flame retardant scaffolding nets according to regulations.
In his commentary on the email screenshot, Mr. Pan expressed frustration towards the “arrogant official,” mentioning that despite sending over 10 emails, the official consistently ignored them. He reiterated that the tragic loss of lives, including firefighters at Grand Blessings Estate, and the inability to ensure firefighter safety during the rescue efforts should lead to the immediate accountability and resignation of Yang Enjian.
In response to these serious allegations, this publication has reached out to the Fire Services Department for comments and is awaiting a response.