SCMP multimedia series traces causes, failures and human toll of Tai Po blaze
South China Morning Post infographics on Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades examine chain of events, systemic lapses and inquiry evidence
The fire, which engulfed the Wang Fuk Court residential complex last November, claimed 168 lives and displaced nearly 5,000 people, making it the city’s deadliest blaze in decades.
For a deeper look at the causes of the tragedy, the “systemic failures” that ultimately led to the heavy death toll, the parties alleged to bear responsibility for the fire and other key findings from the months-long independent inquiry hearings, click on the infographics below.
Our first multimedia infographic tracked the start and spread of the fire, which engulfed seven of the estate’s eight 31-storey blocks on November 26, 2025.
It explained several key factors identified in preliminary investigations that contributed to the rapid escalation of the blaze at the estate, which was undergoing renovations. These included the use of flammable materials in the project, such as the non-fire-retardant scaffolding mesh and polystyrene foam boards, as well as the failure of fire alarms.
We also unpacked the demographics of Wang Fuk Court, built in the early 1980s, showing that nearly 40 per cent of residents were aged 65 or above. It explained why many people were at home when the fire broke out in the afternoon, as more than 50 per cent of residents there were considered non-working.
Based on findings emerging from the first round of evidential hearings, conducted by the independent committee between March 19 and April 10, we took a deep dive into six “human failures” identified by the panel’s lead counsel, Victor Dawes, which resulted in an almost complete lack of fire safety measures at Wang Fuk Court.