https://www.scmp.com/rss/326917/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma A 38-year-old Hong Kong air-conditioner repairman has died after falling off a building in Kowloon City while working without any protective gear, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source said police received a report at 12.15pm on Tuesday of a man falling from Billionnaire Avant, a high-rise residential block, in Kowloon City. “Earlier in the day, the deceased went to a flat on the 11th floor to repair an air conditioner. He climbed out of a window in the bathroom to repair a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354082/air-conditioner-repairman-dies-after-falling-11th-floor-kowloon-city-building?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354082/air-conditioner-repairman-dies-after-falling-11th-floor-kowloon-city-building?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 07:56:13 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A 65-year-old taxi driver has been arrested after his vehicle collided with a pedestrian, who later died in hospital, marking Hong Kong’s second fatal crash involving an elderly cabby in less than a week. The pedestrian, 87, died after he was struck and trapped beneath the taxi while crossing the road under a footbridge in Tung Chung on Monday. The fatal accident came five days after police arrested a 70-year-old taxi driver who killed a woman, 39, and severely injured her dental clinic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353923/man-dies-after-being-hit-trapped-under-taxi-hong-kong-driver-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353923/man-dies-after-being-hit-trapped-under-taxi-hong-kong-driver-arrested?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 04:16:48 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A 38-year-old motorcyclist has died after his vehicle crashed into a fallen tree branch by a road in Hong Kong’s New Territories. Police said on Sunday that they received a report at 10.32pm the day before that an accident involving a motorcycle had taken place in Tai Po. The force said the rider was travelling along Yuen Shin Road in the direction of Sha Tin when the incident happened. “When approaching Tolo Highway, [the motorcycle] reportedly failed to brake in time and crashed into a fallen... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353853/hong-kong-man-38-killed-after-motorcycle-crashes-fallen-tree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353853/hong-kong-man-38-killed-after-motorcycle-crashes-fallen-tree?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 03:46:59 +0000 Fiona Sun,William Yiu Fiona Sun,William Yiu Road safety has been thrust back into the spotlight after two Hong Kong tourists were killed in a car crash in New Zealand. The Chinese consulate in Christchurch on Saturday revealed details of the fatal traffic accident that occurred southwest of the city a day earlier. The South China Morning Post outlines what road safety precautions motorists should take when driving overseas. 1. What should you look out for at a new destination? In Hong Kong, traffic drives on the left side of the road,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353829/new-zealand-car-crash-how-hongkongers-can-stay-safe-self-drive-trips-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353829/new-zealand-car-crash-how-hongkongers-can-stay-safe-self-drive-trips-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 13:28:34 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A Hong Kong police officer accidentally fired a single round from her service firearm on Saturday morning, with no injuries reported. The force said the incident occurred at the Kai Tak police headquarters at around 7.10am, when the officer was loading her semi-automatic pistol in a designated loading area on Concorde Road. The officer is attached to the tactical unit of the force’s Kowloon East regional headquarters, which will follow up on the case. Police reiterated that they had stringent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353810/hong-kong-police-officer-fires-service-pistol-mistake-kai-tak-headquarters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353810/hong-kong-police-officer-fires-service-pistol-mistake-kai-tak-headquarters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 07:48:20 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Two Hong Kong tourists have been killed and two others injured in a car crash in New Zealand. The Chinese consulate in Christchurch revealed the fatal crash on Saturday, saying it occurred a day earlier. “According to a New Zealand police report, a serious traffic accident occurred on the afternoon of May 15 near the intersection of North Rakaia Road and State Highway 1 in the Selwyn District on the South Island,” it said. “The crash resulted in the deaths of two Hong Kong tourists, while two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353800/2-hong-kong-tourists-killed-2-injured-new-zealand-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353800/2-hong-kong-tourists-killed-2-injured-new-zealand-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 05:38:00 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu An elderly man died after falling on board a bus in Hong Kong on Saturday. Police said they received a report at 8.50am that the man in his seventies had fallen while the bus was near 125 Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui. The KMB bus was operating on route 5 between Fu Shan Estate and Star Ferry. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and took the passenger to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he was later certified dead. Police classified the case as a fatal traffic accident. A KMB spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353793/man-his-70s-dies-after-falling-board-bus-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353793/man-his-70s-dies-after-falling-board-bus-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 03:59:30 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A 29-year-old Hong Kong man died of misadventure linked to a rare complication following a gastroscopy at a public hospital two years ago, an inquest has found. The Coroner’s Court on Friday ruled that Lui Pak-to died of cerebral oedema, or brain swelling, triggered by the procedure at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam on February 29, 2024. Coroner Raymund Chow Chi-wei cited expert evidence indicating it was undesirable that Lui had to wait four hours and 40 minutes for a brain scan after... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353662/hong-kong-inquest-finds-rare-gastroscopy-complication-caused-mans-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353662/hong-kong-inquest-finds-rare-gastroscopy-complication-caused-mans-death?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 05:35:36 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu A 70-year-old woman has died in a fire at a Hong Kong flat, with police suspecting it was caused by a malfunctioning air-conditioner. The blaze broke out at Yu Tung Court’s Hei Tung House in Tung Chung on Friday, with police saying they received reports from several residents at around 4.42am. “A woman was certified dead at the scene, and her body was found when firefighters arrived,” a police spokesman said, adding that about 300 people had to be evacuated. “Some residents said they saw black... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353624/elderly-woman-dies-fire-sparked-faulty-air-conditioner-hong-kong-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353624/elderly-woman-dies-fire-sparked-faulty-air-conditioner-hong-kong-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 01:27:34 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial It was devastating to hear investigators say that a cigarette was likely to have sparked last November’s deadly Hong Kong housing estate fire that raged for more than 43 hours, killed 168 people and left thousands without homes. There is growing hope that similar tragedies at renovation or construction sites could be prevented by banning smoking during such work. The public inquiry into the Wang Fuk Court blaze also learned that despite 17 checks at the site, Labour Department inspectors... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353375/smoking-ban-construction-sites-must-be-implemented-without-delay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3353375/smoking-ban-construction-sites-must-be-implemented-without-delay?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Ten students from an elite secondary school in Hong Kong were injured or experienced ringing in their ears after a self-heating hotpot pack exploded in a classroom on Wednesday. A police spokesman said officers received a report from St Paul’s Co-educational College in Mid-Levels at 3.29pm that a self-heating hotpot pack had exploded after being improperly heated. A source said a 15-year-old boy was preparing the hotpot pack at about 1pm when he poured hot water onto it, and it exploded. Six... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353473/10-hong-kong-students-hurt-self-heating-hotpot-pack-explodes-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353473/10-hong-kong-students-hurt-self-heating-hotpot-pack-explodes-classroom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 14:41:32 +0000 Edith Lin,Jess Ma Edith Lin,Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested a 70-year-old taxi driver after he lost control of his cab and drove onto a pavement in Ngau Tau Kok, killing a woman and badly injuring another. A police spokesman said on Wednesday evening that the driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and detained for inquiry. The force earlier said the cabbie and his two passengers were also hurt when the taxi veered onto the pedestrian walkway at about 1.50pm that day on Choi Ha Road, near Chun Wah Road,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353414/woman-dies-another-unconscious-taxi-driven-man-70s-crashes-planter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353414/woman-dies-another-unconscious-taxi-driven-man-70s-crashes-planter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 08:10:19 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Ten people have been injured in a crash involving a truck and a bus outside a shopping centre in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong. Police said they received a report of the crash in Sau Mau Ping at about 6.20am on Tuesday, where a light goods vehicle collided with a KMB double-decker bus, leaving eight passengers and the two drivers with mild injuries. The collision occurred outside Po Tat Shopping Centre on Po Lam Road, the force said. According to KMB, the bus was involved in a traffic accident at 6am on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353207/10-injured-truck-bus-crash-outside-hong-kong-shopping-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353207/10-injured-truck-bus-crash-outside-hong-kong-shopping-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 01:16:16 +0000 Mary Ann Benitez Mary Ann Benitez An outlying island ferry struck a barrier at a typhoon shelter in Hong Kong shortly after midnight on Monday, with passengers recalling being jolted and struggling to retrieve life jackets as they were stranded on the vessel for more than an hour. The small crowd was returning home on Mother’s Day on Sunday and caught the last ferry to Mui Wo at 12.30am the next day from Central ferry pier No 6. But about 25 minutes later at 12.55am, the First Ferry VI vessel crashed into the Hei Ling Chau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353164/ferry-passengers-stranded-over-hour-after-vessel-hits-typhoon-shelter-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353164/ferry-passengers-stranded-over-hour-after-vessel-hits-typhoon-shelter-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 11:12:41 +0000 Brian Wong,Lo Hoi-ying Brian Wong,Lo Hoi-ying The “mechanical mindset” of Hong Kong building authorities has come under scrutiny at a hearing into the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze, with a former inspection director conceding his team had “blindly” followed outdated guidelines when deciding not to conduct on-site audits of renovation work at the estate. Rudolf Lau Fu-kwok, who was the head of the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit when the fire broke out last November, on Friday told an independent committee tasked with investigating... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352936/tai-po-fire-building-authorities-slammed-inquiry-mechanical-mindset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352936/tai-po-fire-building-authorities-slammed-inquiry-mechanical-mindset?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 11:47:57 +0000 Brian Wong,Lo Hoi-ying Brian Wong,Lo Hoi-ying A Hong Kong building inspector mistook illegal alterations to emergency staircases at a housing estate ravaged in a deadly fire for protective measures on “broken” windows, because he based his assessment solely on documents and did not carry out a site visit, a public inquiry has heard. Senior maintenance surveyor Nick Yung Siu-lun, the head of the minor works team of the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, said on Thursday that he thought the wooden boards used to cover the temporary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352766/inspector-failed-spot-illegal-alterations-hong-kong-fire-probe-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352766/inspector-failed-spot-illegal-alterations-hong-kong-fire-probe-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 10:50:10 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong A Hong Kong motorcyclist has been killed after reportedly losing control of his vehicle, which overturned inside the Eastern Harbour Crossing, with police launching an investigation. Police said on Thursday that the accident occurred in Kwun Tong shortly after midnight, at about 12.51am, as the motorcycle was travelling through the tunnel towards Hong Kong Island. The vehicle is believed to have struck the left-side kerb before skidding forward and overturning. The rider, a 58-year-old man... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3352685/motorcyclist-58-killed-eastern-harbour-crossing-crash-police-investigate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3352685/motorcyclist-58-killed-eastern-harbour-crossing-crash-police-investigate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 02:08:00 +0000 Brian Wong,Jess Ma Brian Wong,Jess Ma Government inspectors did not foresee engineering firms colluding to deceive authorities over the use of substandard renovation materials at a Hong Kong residential estate devastated in the city’s deadliest fire in decades, a public inquiry has heard. Andy Ku Siu-ping, a senior maintenance surveyor with the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, on Wednesday blamed “systemic defects” for the body’s failure to rectify the use of flammable polyfoam boards and scaffolding mesh during a HK$336... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352656/tai-po-fire-inspectors-failed-anticipate-firms-deception-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352656/tai-po-fire-inspectors-failed-anticipate-firms-deception-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 13:58:03 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hikers should not underestimate the risks of climbing in Japan during the volatile spring transition in May, a mountaineering expert has warned after two Hong Kong men became stranded in the country’s Northern Alps, one of whom later died. Veteran mountaineer Chung Kin-man said on Wednesday that climbers might develop a false sense of safety due to warmer weather in lowland areas in May, even as conditions in the mountains remained unstable, with risks of snowstorms, strong winds and freezing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352558/may-can-give-false-sense-safety-expert-warns-after-hong-kong-hiker-dies-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352558/may-can-give-false-sense-safety-expert-warns-after-hong-kong-hiker-dies-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 03:22:07 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s security chief has reaffirmed that fire services will act as the gatekeeper for safety after a legal vacuum was exposed during an inquiry into the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, stressing the department’s existing manpower could cope with expanded oversight duties. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday reiterated the pledge earlier made by Fire Services Department Director Andy Yeung Yan-kin during the hearings into the inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352537/fire-services-be-gatekeepers-safety-hong-kong-security-chief-vows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352537/fire-services-be-gatekeepers-safety-hong-kong-security-chief-vows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 15:01:18 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A lift technician has died after being struck by a large piece of falling metal while carrying out maintenance work inside a shaft at a luxury estate in Hong Kong, according to an initial police investigation. The 26-year-old man was working inside the shaft on the eight floor of Block 4 of Pacific View on Tai Tam Road in Stanley while three other colleagues were on the upper floor on Monday, a force spokesman said. The investigation suggested an L-shaped iron piece, about a metre long and 10cm... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352392/lift-technician-dies-after-10-metre-fall-down-shaft-hong-kong-luxury-estate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352392/lift-technician-dies-after-10-metre-fall-down-shaft-hong-kong-luxury-estate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 12:02:20 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li A 67-year-old driver has been arrested after his vehicle reportedly lost control at a border checkpoint in a traffic accident that killed his 62-year-old wife. Police received a report at 4.41am on Monday that a private car had rammed into multiple traffic cones and a kiosk before coming to rest on its side on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge near 80 Shun Wan Road. The car, bearing the number plate ZZ9**2, was headed towards Hong Kong when the accident took place, with the driver and passenger... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352354/driver-arrested-after-wife-killed-crash-hong-kong-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352354/driver-arrested-after-wife-killed-crash-hong-kong-border-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 08:35:16 +0000 Kristen Cheung,Eric Jiang,Leopold Chen Kristen Cheung,Eric Jiang,Leopold Chen Nearly all of the residents of the seven towers engulfed in flames at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court last year returned to their former homes to retrieve their belongings over a 15-day operation that ended on Monday, with police investigating at least 19 suspected thefts. The government said 6,265 people from 1,674 households took part in the return programme that began on April 20, including some who were helping to move the belongings who were not former residents of the Tai Po estate. “The vast... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352333/hong-kong-extends-tax-waiver-residents-displaced-deadly-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352333/hong-kong-extends-tax-waiver-residents-displaced-deadly-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 06:32:26 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong dancer left paralysed after being struck by a giant screen at a concert by Cantopop boy band Mirror delivered court testimony for the first time on Monday, with his lawyer revealing he had received treatment in Beijing and Thailand. The District Court is assessing the damages to be awarded to Mo Li Kai-yin after finding Studiodanz liable for compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance following the accident at Hong Kong Coliseum on July 28, 2022. Li, 31, was paralysed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352332/paralysed-dancer-mo-li-testifies-court-first-time-over-mirror-concert-accident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352332/paralysed-dancer-mo-li-testifies-court-first-time-over-mirror-concert-accident?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 06:31:33 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities are searching for a 28-year-old man who went hiking and lost contact with his family after a dispute with his girlfriend, with a helicopter deployed to aid in the operation. Police said on Saturday that they received a report at 11.30am from a man who said his younger brother had lost contact with his family after arguing with his girlfriend the evening before. The caller added his brother last posted on social media that he was hiking along the fourth section of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352223/rescuers-search-man-who-went-missing-while-hiking-after-row-girlfriend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352223/rescuers-search-man-who-went-missing-while-hiking-after-row-girlfriend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 10:30:30 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Nearly half of the notices filed to deactivate firefighting systems over the past two years involved works that lasted longer than the maximum two months allowed under rules introduced after Hong Kong’s deadly Wang Fuk Court fire, official data has shown. A spokesman for the Fire Services Department told the South China Morning Post that the new rules would also apply to existing notices. Department figures obtained by the SCMP showed that 5,674, or 45 per cent, of the 12,558 shutdown notices... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352137/45-fire-safety-shutdowns-run-past-new-2-month-cap-after-tai-po-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352137/45-fire-safety-shutdowns-run-past-new-2-month-cap-after-tai-po-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 04:00:21 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities are investigating a suspicious fire that broke out in a residential flat, after a man died when he fell from the building and an elderly woman was overcome due to heavy smoke. Police received a report of the fire on Friday at around 7pm at a flat in Royal Garden, Ho Man Tin. Firefighters arrived at the scene, used a ladder to access the flat, and put out the blaze about 30 minutes later. During the incident, a man fell from the sixth floor of the building onto a car park,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352183/hong-kong-police-investigate-suspicious-fire-after-man-dies-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352183/hong-kong-police-investigate-suspicious-fire-after-man-dies-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 13:31:14 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong police have arrested a taxi driver for dangerous driving on the first of the five-day mainland Chinese Labour Day “golden week” holiday, after he was caught reaching speeds of 160km/h (99.4mph) and completing a 42km ride in just half an hour. Police took enforcement action against the 31-year-old driver on Friday after intelligence officers found the arrestee, who mainly drives around Sai Kung, had frequently uploaded videos of dangerous driving online. “Officers went undercover as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352170/hong-kong-taxi-driver-arrested-dangerous-driving-hitting-speeds-160km/h?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352170/hong-kong-taxi-driver-arrested-dangerous-driving-hitting-speeds-160km/h?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 11:46:35 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen An official tendering system designed to curb anti-competitive conduct is powerless to combat engineering firms colluding to manipulate Hong Kong’s lucrative building maintenance market, a public inquiry into the city’s deadliest fire in decades has heard. Testifying on the 21st day of an independent committee’s hearing, three Urban Renewal Authority (URA) officials said on Thursday that the statutory body had neither the capacity nor the resources to combat bid-rigging linked to estates’... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352067/tai-po-fire-tendering-system-cant-stop-firms-manipulating-market-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352067/tai-po-fire-tendering-system-cant-stop-firms-manipulating-market-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:04:14 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying An elderly man drowned while swimming at Lung Mei Beach in Hong Kong’s Tai Po on Thursday morning. Police said they received a report at 7.25am of a swimmer struggling to stay afloat. Officers rescued the 73-year-old man about 100 metres (328 feet) from shore. He was taken to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po, where he was pronounced dead. Police retrieved a backpack believed to belong to the man from a locker at the beach. Lifeguard services at the public beach operate from 9am to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351936/elderly-man-drowns-during-morning-swim-hong-kongs-lung-mei-beach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351936/elderly-man-drowns-during-morning-swim-hong-kongs-lung-mei-beach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 03:00:36 +0000 Amanda Sheppard Amanda Sheppard In recent months, families across Hong Kong have faced the difficult task of helping children process emotions resulting from the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, on top of a stream of unsettling news from around the world. Even children not directly affected may have seen images online, overheard adult conversations, or sensed anxiety at school and at home. Many parents struggle with how much to explain and how to respond to reactions that can seem unpredictable or confusing. “Children often... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3351775/how-parents-can-help-their-children-deal-grief-after-tai-po-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3351775/how-parents-can-help-their-children-deal-grief-after-tai-po-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung,Oscar Liu Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung,Oscar Liu Residents of two blocks, including one of the worst hit, returned to their fire-ravaged homes at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court on Wednesday hoping to collect belongings, with some vowing to begin a new journey after bidding a final farewell to their flats. While some looked towards a fresh start, others grappled with the loss of cherished belongings and the condition of their homes. Two sisters surnamed Cheung said they only managed to pack photos as their flat on a lower floor of Wang Tai House,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351802/government-vows-action-landlord-tenant-rows-block-access-wang-fuk-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351802/government-vows-action-landlord-tenant-rows-block-access-wang-fuk-court?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:38:50 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Government surveyors failed to detect major fire risks at a housing complex destroyed in Hong Kong’s deadliest inferno in decades because they were following outdated guidelines that did not require in-person inspections of renovation works, a public inquiry has heard. The independent committee was told on Monday that illegal alterations to Wang Fuk Court’s emergency passages during the HK$336 million (US$42.9 million) overhaul of the estate’s exterior could have been discovered sooner had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351604/fire-risks-not-spotted-due-old-inspection-guidelines-tai-po-blaze-inquiry-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351604/fire-risks-not-spotted-due-old-inspection-guidelines-tai-po-blaze-inquiry-told?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:55:41 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung A Hong Kong doctor accused of a blunder that left a boy permanently disabled 16 years ago said he did not return to the hospital to examine the infant immediately as he initially diagnosed the emergency as a choking case, the Medical Council heard on Sunday. Testifying for the first time at the hearing, Dr Sit Sou-chi contested an allegation that he had failed to conduct all necessary and immediate investigations of newborn Li Yuanjian, the son of a mainland Chinese couple, after the infant had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351495/doctor-long-delayed-hearing-over-blunder-says-he-thought-baby-was-choking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351495/doctor-long-delayed-hearing-over-blunder-says-he-thought-baby-was-choking?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:52:53 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A 46-year-old mainland Chinese woman was rescued on Sunday morning after slipping into the sea while taking photos at a lighthouse in Hong Kong’s Sai Kung. Police received a report at 10.54am that a woman had fallen into the water at Fat Tong Mun, a sea channel between the southern tip of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula and the northern tip of Tung Lung Chau. A source said the woman was taking photos with friends at Fat Tong Mun Lighthouse when she lost her footing and fell three metres (9.8 feet)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351475/woman-rescued-after-falling-sea-while-taking-photos-hong-kong-lighthouse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351475/woman-rescued-after-falling-sea-while-taking-photos-hong-kong-lighthouse?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:28:11 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying,Fiona Chow,Vivian Au Lo Hoi-ying,Fiona Chow,Vivian Au Hon Wing, 77, and his family climbed 19 floors to their fire-ravaged flat in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court housing estate on Tuesday but left almost empty-handed after a two-hour search for valuables. Hon, a retired part-time taxi driver, had hoped to find a bag of change he kept during his work shifts, but “nothing much was there” in his charred flat in Wang Sun House. His daughter Ice Hon wanted to retrieve items passed down from her late mother. “Dust and ruins are everywhere. It feels like the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351387/wang-fuk-court-residents-make-long-climb-retrieve-family-treasures-bid-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351387/wang-fuk-court-residents-make-long-climb-retrieve-family-treasures-bid-farewell?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:00:25 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s fire services chief has acknowledged that better communication with building authorities is needed after an independent committee earlier revealed that his officers had taken no action against possible safety breaches during renovations at Wang Fuk Court, where 168 people were killed in last year’s inferno. But Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin insisted on Friday that authorities had clear divisions of work when it came to the supervision of renovation projects, even as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351341/departments-must-communicate-better-fire-chief-tells-tai-po-blaze-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351341/departments-must-communicate-better-fire-chief-tells-tai-po-blaze-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Brian Wong,Jess Ma Brian Wong,Jess Ma Hong Kong’s fire services declined to activate an emergency alert during the city’s deadliest inferno in decades, citing concerns that it might have caused confusion among trapped residents, a public inquiry has heard. An independent committee investigating last year’s disaster at Wang Fuk Court was also told on Thursday that the system, which would have triggered a loud, high-pitched alarm on mobile phones, would have offered little help to the Fire Services Department’s evacuation efforts, as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351135/hong-kong-fire-services-declined-tai-po-alert-over-confusion-fears-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351135/hong-kong-fire-services-declined-tai-po-alert-over-confusion-fears-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:49:52 +0000 Jess Ma,Brian Wong Jess Ma,Brian Wong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The role of Hong Kong’s fire service remained under the spotlight on the 18th day of evidential hearings held by an independent committee investigating the catastrophic blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court. Three officers from the Fire Services Department testified on Thursday before the judge-led panel. Four of their colleagues gave accounts the previous day of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351068/tai-po-probe-very-rare-damage-found-fallen-firefighters-breathing-apparatus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351068/tai-po-probe-very-rare-damage-found-fallen-firefighters-breathing-apparatus?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:11:58 +0000 Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung,Edith Lin Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung,Edith Lin Emotional residents returned to the most severely damaged block of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court on Thursday, holding back tears as they recounted harrowing escapes and called for more time to revisit their homes. Some survivors managed to retrieve precious belongings from two reopened blocks on Thursday, including a framed wedding photo and cats’ ashes, as about 600 families from the ill-fated estate requested second visits to their flats. Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351067/600-families-seek-second-visit-residents-return-worst-hit-wang-fuk-court-tower?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351067/600-families-seek-second-visit-residents-return-worst-hit-wang-fuk-court-tower?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:07:50 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Families of victims who died in Hong Kong’s Lamma ferry disaster 13 years ago have filed an application for a judicial review against a coroner’s findings in an inquest, saying the conclusions showed irrationality and failed to weigh contradictory evidence. Four individuals lodged the application in the High Court on Wednesday. They acted without lawyers. They want the court to quash the coroner’s findings that a missing watertight door on the ill-fated Lamma IV ferry was a deliberate design... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351053/families-seek-review-coroners-findings-lamma-ferry-disaster-inquest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351053/families-seek-review-coroners-findings-lamma-ferry-disaster-inquest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:23:48 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen A public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has exposed confusion among government agencies over their roles in supervising large renovation projects, with a fire services officer insisting on Wednesday that his department was not responsible for handling complaints about flammable building materials because it lacked construction expertise. Hours after the hearing, the Fire Services Department announced it would launch a new mechanism this month for handling cases involving fire... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351019/confusion-over-government-agencies-roles-fire-oversight-tai-po-probe-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351019/confusion-over-government-agencies-roles-fire-oversight-tai-po-probe-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen A Labour Department official has told an inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po inferno that the temporary removal of fireproof windows from emergency passages in the blaze-hit estate complied with occupational safety protocols, triggering questions on whether the interests of workers and residents are at odds. The inquiry also heard on Tuesday that a department officer had misled Wang Fuk Court residents by claiming the fire resistance of renovation material was outside the purview of the law,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350910/tai-po-blaze-probe-temporary-removal-fireproof-windows-complied-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350910/tai-po-blaze-probe-temporary-removal-fireproof-windows-complied-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:32:49 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong police are investigating two separate traffic accidents on Tuesday that led to the deaths of two women. In the first case, police were alerted at about 8.51am to a light goods vehicle driven by a 36-year-old man travelling along Cha Kwo Ling Road towards Yau Tong. The vehicle was approaching Yau Tong MTR station when it reportedly knocked down a woman crossing the road. The 30-year-old woman from mainland China sustained serious injuries to her head and limbs. She was rushed to United... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3350863/2-women-killed-separate-traffic-accidents-involving-goods-vehicle-and-coach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3350863/2-women-killed-separate-traffic-accidents-involving-goods-vehicle-and-coach?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:39:23 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen A public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has heard that authorities and representatives of Wang Fuk Court homeowners took no proactive steps against alleged vote rigging at the subsidised housing estate. Jason Kong Cheung-fat, a former management committee member of the owners’ corporation at Wang Fuk Court, said on Monday that the abuse of proxy votes was a long-standing problem that had enabled his predecessors to maintain a firm grip on power until they were ousted over a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350746/vote-rigging-wang-fuk-court-went-unchecked-deadly-fire-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350746/vote-rigging-wang-fuk-court-went-unchecked-deadly-fire-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Leopold Chen,Brian Wong Leopold Chen,Brian Wong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The third set of public evidential hearings into the deadly fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court began on Monday and concluded its 15th day of testimony in half a day. The sole witness to testify on the day, Jason Kong Cheung-fat, was re-elected into the owners’ corporation management committee as a member in September in 2024, when chairman Tang Kwok-kuen was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350661/tai-po-fire-probe-new-management-committee-failed-tackle-abuse-proxy-votes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350661/tai-po-fire-probe-new-management-committee-failed-tackle-abuse-proxy-votes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:46:01 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Fourteen people were injured after a minibus crashed into a heavy goods vehicle, Hong Kong police said on Saturday. The driver reported to police at about 9.30pm that the minibus had hit a heavy goods vehicle in Tsing Yi and that some passengers had been injured. The crash happened near Ching Chung House at Cheung Ching Estate. Emergency services found 14 people injured on the minibus. Two of them, who sustained minor injuries, subsequently left the scene. The remaining four men and eight women... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350595/14-hurt-after-minibus-slams-back-goods-vehicle-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350595/14-hurt-after-minibus-slams-back-goods-vehicle-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:10:04 +0000 Jess Ma,Emily Hung Jess Ma,Emily Hung For 66-year-old Ming Lee, the only way to get back to his flat in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court is by walking up 25 flights of stairs, after the deadly inferno at the housing estate last November destroyed seven of its eight buildings, including their lift systems. Undaunted by the physical toll required, the retiree will ascend Wang Yan House next week and bid a final farewell to his home of four decades. “I exercise regularly, but after the fire, my mood and physical condition both deteriorated,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350579/wang-fuk-court-residents-steel-themselves-emotional-return-site-deadly-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350579/wang-fuk-court-residents-steel-themselves-emotional-return-site-deadly-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:21 +0000 Brian Wong,Matthew Cheng Brian Wong,Matthew Cheng The owners’ corporation of a Hong Kong housing complex devastated in the city’s deadliest fire in decades failed to convince renovation workers to use fire-resistant materials due to the absence of statutory requirements, a public inquiry heard. Tony Tsui Moon-come, chairman of the management committee of the incorporated owners of Wang Fuk Court at the time of the fire, said on Friday he and other residents were “helpless” when trying to compel contractor Prestige Construction and Engineering... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350494/tai-po-fire-owners-group-repeatedly-protested-use-flammable-materials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350494/tai-po-fire-owners-group-repeatedly-protested-use-flammable-materials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:41:36 +0000 Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Brian Wong,Leopold Chen Two renovation subcontractors involved in a HK$336 million (US$42.9 million) project at a subsidised estate ravaged by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have conceded they did not regulate workers’ smoking behaviour before the inferno. The two engineering firms on Thursday also told an independent committee that they had partially replaced fireproof windows at Wang Fuk Court’s evacuation passages with movable wooden boards to allow workers’ easy access to scaffolding at the behest of main... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350318/we-failed-check-if-workers-smoked-wang-fuk-court-firms-tell-fire-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350318/we-failed-check-if-workers-smoked-wang-fuk-court-firms-tell-fire-hearing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:17:21 +0000