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A memorial in front of the fire-damaged towers of Wang Fuk Court, where 160 people died.
Hong Kong authorities have opened a full-scale investigation into the cause of a devastating fire
in a high-rise residential complex in Tai Po, which killed160 people and injured dozens more.
The blaze, which ignited on 30 November and burned for nearly two days, is the city’s deadliest urban fire in more than 70 years.It swept through seven of the eight residential towers at Wang Fuk Court, a housing complex of more than 5,000 residents that had been undergoing extensive renovations. At the height of operations,more than 1,200 emergency services personnel were on the scene, with 200 trucks and support vehicles and 100 ambulances.
So far, police have arrested 15 people – including the building’s manager, several maintenance contractors and property owners – on suspicion of criminal negligence, violation of fire safety regulations and manslaughter.
Investigators are conducting a forensic analysis into any illegal structural alterations – a common practice in the territory’s housing estates seeking to maximise rent returns – that may have obstructed escape routes.
Hong Kong’s leader and chief executive, John Lee, announced the establishment of an independent committeeheaded by a judge. He pledged full accountability and said the group would include fire experts, engineers and urban-planning specialists.
Although the cause of the fire has not been confirmed yet, early indicators suggest cost-cutting played a significant role.
Hong Kong authorities initially said that tests on green netting used to cover the bamboo scaffolding at the housing complex met fire safety regulations. However, chief secretary Eric Chan, who is the number two official in Hong Kong, later revealedthat subsequent tests found safety violations in seven of the 20 samples taken from the site.
Investigators now suspect contractors replaced approved material with lower quality netting in order to reduce expenses and increase profits.
Flammable foam panels, used as part of the renovation work to cover windows, increased the speed and intensity of the fire.
The tragedy has deepened public frustration in a city already fraught with political tension and housing precarity. Hong Kong’s extreme urban density has long pushed hundreds of thousands into subdivided flats known as “cage homes”, many of which lack ventilation or fire control systems.
Critics argue that despite previous reforms, many private management companies continue to prioritise profit over public welfare, calling the incident “the tip of an iceberg”.
The government has also ordered the temporary suspension of 30 construction projects, linked to the firm responsible for managing Tai Po complex.
The Hong Kong authorities have been criticised for a heavy-handed response, under which a university student who launched a petition about the fire was reportedly arrested on suspicion of sedition.
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