TL;DR
- The residents of Wang Fuk Court were assured of “relatively low fire risks” by authorities despite ongoing safety complaints regarding potential fire hazards related to renovation works.
- Three individuals linked to Prestige Construction have been arrested on manslaughter charges as investigations into the fire, which has resulted in at least 128 fatalities, continue.
- Experts noted the rapid spread of the fire through exterior scaffolding, raising concerns about the adequacy of safety measures employed during renovations.
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Deadly fire followed years of safety complaints – with residents told they face ‘low fire risks’
People living in the housing complex that was hit by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in seven decades were told by authorities last year that they faced “relatively low fire risks” after complaining repeatedly about fire hazards posed by ongoing renovation works, officials have said.
Residents of Wang Fuk Court in northern Hong Kong had raised concerns over maintenance activity in September last year, including about the potential flammability of the protective green mesh contractors had used to cover the bamboo scaffolding raised around the buildings, a Labour Department spokesperson told Reuters.
The department subsequently reviewed safety certification for the mesh, which was used as a net for falling debris, and told residents the material’s “flame-retardant performance” met standards, said the agency, which helps enforce construction standards set by the building department.
Police in Hong Kong said yesterday, however, that the exterior walls of the complex’s buildings “had protective nets, membranes, waterproof tarpaulins, and plastic sheets suspected of not meeting fire safety standards”.
Arrests
Three people associated with renovation contractor Prestige Construction have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
The exact cause of the fire, which has claimed at least 128 lives, has not been determined.
What is clear, however, is that the fire spread rapidly through the exterior scaffolding system, said Jiang Liming, a fire-safety expert at Hong Kong Polytechnic University who reviewed video footage of the blaze.
Reuters reported Prestige, which secured a HK$330 million (£32.4m) renovation contract for the complex in January 2024, did not respond to repeated calls.
The three arrested people, who authorities have not named, could not be reached.
Metal shutters were pulled down over the entrance of Prestige’s office when a reporter visited this morning.
Investigation
Asked about the Labour Department’s review of the mesh’s safety certification, Hong Kong police referred to a statement issued yesterday in which it said it would “gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire” once the fire was fully extinguished.
The Labour Department told Reuters that when it told residents they faced low fire risks as long as processes like welding were avoided, that did not mean that potential hazards were ignored.
It also said it had reminded the contractor to implement fire-prevention measures.
The agency added that it had carried out 16 safety inspections at Wang Fuk Court between July 2024 and November 2025.
The department issued six improvement notices to the contractor over its work at the complex and initiated three prosecutions, it said, without providing further specifics.