Hong Kong councillors urge swift rebuilding and rehousing options after Tai Po fire

Tai Po district councillors have urged the government to expedite rebuilding plans and offer Wang Fuk Court residents a range of rehousing options after Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, as officials pledged to weigh the pros and cons of each proposal.

At the first meeting of Tai Po District Council since the fire on November 26, all 22 members attended, including Peggy Wong Pik-kiu, who has come under heavy scrutiny for advising the owners’ corporation of the housing estate on its HK$330 million (US$42 million) renovation project in 2024.

The renovation, which involved the use of some non-fire-retardant scaffolding protective mesh and polystyrene foam boards to cover window facades, is among the factors blamed for the rapid spread of the fire across seven of the estate’s eight residential blocks. The inferno killed 161 people and displaced nearly 5,000.

Post-fire rebuilding has emerged as the top concern among district councillors.

Wong, a district councillor with the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, wore sunglasses throughout the meeting. She entered and left the chamber through the back door and did not respond to media questions about her role in the renovation.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the thousands of households affected by the fire, and my mourning to the residents who lost their lives, especially to their families,” Wong said.