https://www.scmp.com/rss/524779/feed Latest news and updates on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district that killed 168 people, including a firefighter. Scores of people were also hurt. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma,Danny Mok Jess Ma,Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities have launched a public consultation on overhauling fire safety regulations, six months after the city’s deadliest inferno in decades, proposing to expand firefighters’ law enforcement powers and impose additional responsibilities on management firms and contractors. The Security Bureau and the Fire Services Department on Tuesday began a one-month consultation exercise on proposed amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance and related subsidiary legislation. The proposals... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3354943/hong-kong-unveils-proposed-overhaul-fire-safety-laws-consultation-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3354943/hong-kong-unveils-proposed-overhaul-fire-safety-laws-consultation-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 15:02:34 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial After the city’s worst fire disaster in decades took 168 lives last November, it goes without saying that fire safety is paramount in our crowded high-rise environment. But evidence shows it still needs saying. It is to be found in the report by the Fire Services Department on checks on 1,500 residential and mixed-use old buildings carried out over two months beginning in January. A fire services spokesman said the checks found that 53 buildings had fire alarms with safety violations and another... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3354761/hong-kong-must-not-slip-complacency-fire-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3354761/hong-kong-must-not-slip-complacency-fire-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 22:45:05 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters On the bathroom door of a cluttered, silent flat in Wang Fuk Court, a calendar remains on the page for November 2025 – the month a deadly fire broke out at the Tai Po estate in Hong Kong. Resident Joe* and his wife Annie* took photos of each room of their undamaged flat for what they believed would be their final visit. While time appeared to have stood still in this space, every room reeked of a mixture of sweat and mould, and ants crawled across dusty kitchen walls. A foul stench wafted out... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354749/wang-fuk-court-family-bid-final-farewell-after-salvaging-remains-their-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354749/wang-fuk-court-family-bid-final-farewell-after-salvaging-remains-their-home?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 12:14:15 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Hong Kong’s note-issuing banks are replacing burnt cash for Wang Fuk Court residents, following emergency measures introduced by the city’s Monetary Authority and lenders to support those affected by last November’s devastating fire at the Tai Po estate. The extent of the residents’ financial losses came into the spotlight as they returned to the site to collect their belongings during a 15-day government operation that wrapped up earlier this month. When residents visited Wang Tai House, one of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354667/hong-kong-banks-replace-burnt-cash-residents-fire-ravaged-wang-fuk-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354667/hong-kong-banks-replace-burnt-cash-residents-fire-ravaged-wang-fuk-court?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A group of Hongkongers have started the city’s first corpse restoration team, aiming to provide affordable reconstruction services for badly disfigured bodies so the dead can be buried with dignity and their families can find some comfort. The six-member team, under local funeral information sharing platform RIPHK, has handled more than 10 cases since it started operations last December, including victims who died in the Tai Po fire in November. After the disaster, a professional corpse... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354619/dignity-dead-6-hongkongers-form-citys-first-corpse-restoration-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354619/dignity-dead-6-hongkongers-form-citys-first-corpse-restoration-team?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 08:32:18 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities are extending an operation targeting poorly maintained fire safety equipment for another two years, aiming to inspect 5,000 high-risk old buildings after an initial phase resulted in 75 prosecutions. Law Kin-san, acting senior divisional officer for policy at the Fire Services Department, said on Thursday that ad hoc checks on high-risk buildings would prioritise residential blocks wrapped in scaffolding nets and those undergoing major renovation. “Unlike new buildings,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354416/operation-targeting-fire-safety-old-hong-kong-buildings-extended-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354416/operation-targeting-fire-safety-old-hong-kong-buildings-extended-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 14:37:47 +0000 Fiona Chow,Kristen Cheung Fiona Chow,Kristen Cheung The administrator of the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court has reassured residents that the Hong Kong government will assume responsibility for pursuing claims on insurance policies bought by the estate on behalf of owners who sell their flats to authorities under a buy-back plan. But some residents of the Tai Po estate who attended Wednesday’s Zoom briefing by Hop On Management found key questions regarding their insurance claims remained unanswered, including how and when they could expect... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354276/government-handle-wang-fuk-court-insurance-claims-under-buyback-plan-administrator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354276/government-handle-wang-fuk-court-insurance-claims-under-buyback-plan-administrator?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 14:00:21 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Smoking will be banned at construction sites in Hong Kong from July 17 under a government proposal sent to the legislature following the deadly blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court last November. The government introduced three amendments to existing ordinances to improve fire safety at the sites on Tuesday. “Since the tragic fire which occurred in Tai Po in November 2025, there has been strong community consensus for implementing a comprehensive smoking ban in construction sites to reduce fire risk... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354145/tai-po-blaze-hong-kong-ban-smoking-construction-sites-july-17?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354145/tai-po-blaze-hong-kong-ban-smoking-construction-sites-july-17?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 16:19:09 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The Hong Kong government will lift resale restrictions on replacement homes for flat owners displaced by the Tai Po fire and provide them with two-year vouchers to purchase second-hand subsidised housing, according to an official buy-back document seen by the South China Morning Post on Tuesday. The document states that original owners who opt for the special sales scheme will have greater flexibility as they will be allowed to sell their newly built subsidised flats on the secondary market at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354089/hong-kong-lifts-resale-curbs-displaced-tai-po-fire-victims-under-buy-back-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354089/hong-kong-lifts-resale-curbs-displaced-tai-po-fire-victims-under-buy-back-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 08:37:07 +0000 Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung Vivian Au,Kristen Cheung Owners at Wang Chi House, the only block spared in Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court, have until October 15 to finalise the sale of homes under a government buyback scheme – provided more than 75 per cent of them indicate their intention to sell by the end of next month. However, the tight timeline has sparked widespread frustration among residents, who complain they are being pressured to make a decision without crucial details regarding insurance coverage and future maintenance... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354009/spared-wang-fuk-court-block-owners-given-mid-october-finalise-buyback-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3354009/spared-wang-fuk-court-block-owners-given-mid-october-finalise-buyback-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 14:02:10 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong police have proposed introducing legislation enforced by a designated agency to criminalise bid-rigging, along with more attractive leniency and cooperation agreements for whistle-blowers, in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades. In a submission to a judge-led independent committee investigating last November’s disaster at Wang Fuk Court released on Friday, Superintendent Lam Kai-chor of the organised crime and triad bureau said the current civil regime of the Competition... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353770/hong-kong-police-call-criminalise-bid-rigging-wake-tai-po-estate-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353770/hong-kong-police-call-criminalise-bid-rigging-wake-tai-po-estate-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 15:05:35 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang A man who previously represented residents of fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has been arrested, along with his wife, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, the South China Morning Post has learned. Sources revealed on Friday that Jason Kong Cheung-fat, a director of Ace Interior Design & Engineering Company, and his wife, Rosanna Cheung Yeuk-lan, who is also a director of the firm, were arrested a day earlier. The couple are suspected of borrowing hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353674/former-wang-fuk-court-representative-and-wife-held-over-fraud-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353674/former-wang-fuk-court-representative-and-wife-held-over-fraud-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 07:02:15 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong authorities have formally issued buy-back offer letters to homeowners at the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, giving them until August 31 to decide whether to accept the deal under a long-term resettlement plan. The letters were sent to all homeowners on Thursday, including those who had previously said they would not sell their flats, the South China Morning Post has learned. The government has earmarked HK$6.8 billion (US$870 million) to acquire flats damaged in last November’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353530/hong-kong-formally-issues-buy-back-offer-letters-wang-fuk-court-homeowners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353530/hong-kong-formally-issues-buy-back-offer-letters-wang-fuk-court-homeowners?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 07:01:26 +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 Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying,Fiona Chow Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying,Fiona Chow The government-appointed administrator of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court has sought to delay an owners’ meeting, prompting calls from residents to hold it before the end of June to address concerns ahead of a decision on whether to sell their flats. The move by Hop On Management Company came after more than 240 owners, representing over 12 per cent of households at the estate in Tai Po, petitioned the administrator in late April to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), warning... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353472/owners-push-back-wang-fuk-court-administrator-seeks-delay-crucial-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353472/owners-push-back-wang-fuk-court-administrator-seeks-delay-crucial-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 14:38:11 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Residents of the only block left largely unscathed by a deadly fire in Hong Kong last year arrived with large suitcases, trolleys and cardboard boxes as they returned home for a second time to collect their belongings, including refrigerators and washing machines. Lifts in the block were put back into service for the first time since the November 26 fire engulfed seven of the eight blocks in Wang Fuk Court, killing 168 people and displacing nearly 5,000. During the three-hour session, residents... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353362/heavy-hearts-residents-wang-fuk-courts-only-spared-block-return-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353362/heavy-hearts-residents-wang-fuk-courts-only-spared-block-return-again?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 04:23:56 +0000 Vivian Au,Fiona Chow,Kristen Cheung Vivian Au,Fiona Chow,Kristen Cheung Wang Fuk Court’s administrator has revealed that HK$180 million (US$22.9 million) has been paid to parties involved in the estate’s renovation project, with the remaining HK$127 million to be refunded to owners displaced by one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires in decades. The details were disclosed during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, one of two sessions arranged for residents by Hop On Management Company, the government-appointed administrator of the Tai Po estate following the fire. The second... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353322/wang-fuk-court-administrator-outlines-hk127-million-refund-displaced-owners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353322/wang-fuk-court-administrator-outlines-hk127-million-refund-displaced-owners?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 15:08:03 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Cigarette butts will be considered “strong evidence” of a possible breach under a proposed construction site smoking ban, Hong Kong’s labour chief has said, even as he sought to reassure contractors that preventive measures could shield them from the maximum HK$400,000 (US$51,070) fine. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-Han revealed further details about the ban in an interview with the South China Morning Post held amid an inquiry into the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze, which heard... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353066/cigarette-butts-strong-evidence-smoking-ban-breach-work-sites-chris-sun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353066/cigarette-butts-strong-evidence-smoking-ban-breach-work-sites-chris-sun?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 01:00:23 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung For Hong Kong-based artist Apple Tong Wing-yin, Wang Fuk Court has always been more than a home address. It was a library of her life’s work. Tong, a prominent deaf illustrator and graphic designer who communicates through what she calls her “silent language” of art, kept the many canvases that spoke for her inside her flat in the Tai Po housing estate. In November last year, that library was reduced to ash in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires. She lost everything – her awards, her backlog of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3352844/deaf-artist-who-lost-lifes-work-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-painting-heal-myself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3352844/deaf-artist-who-lost-lifes-work-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-painting-heal-myself?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Edith Lin,Emily Hung Edith Lin,Emily Hung Multiple residents of Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court have reported problems with registering for an online meeting hosted by the estate’s administrator, with the company saying it has stepped up arrangements to enhance cybersecurity. A resident received an SMS from Hop On Management on Sunday saying he had not completed registration for the May 20 update session for owners, just two days after the firm had confirmed a “successful registration”. “You have not completed the registration... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353038/what-mess-wang-fuk-court-residents-flag-glitches-online-owners-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353038/what-mess-wang-fuk-court-residents-flag-glitches-online-owners-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 09:40:56 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng The Hong Kong Bar Association has proposed criminalising bid-rigging by introducing a “double-track” approach to the Competition Ordinance, describing it as a quick fix to increase deterrence and encourage more whistle-blowers to expose industry malpractice following the city’s deadliest fire in decades. Under the current civil regime established in 2015, the ordinance only punishes individuals involved in serious anticompetitive acts, such as bid-rigging, with fines. But the new proposal calls... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353008/bar-association-proposes-double-track-approach-criminalising-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3353008/bar-association-proposes-double-track-approach-criminalising-bid-rigging?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 00:30:05 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Stories filled with tragic bravery, outrage at heedless officials and horror as loved ones perished were among those shared by 24 residents of the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court estate, as they testified at a public hearing investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades. Over multiple sessions that began on March 19, some told the presiding committee how their repeated efforts to raise bid-rigging and safety concerns about the estate’s exterior renovation fell on deaf ears, well before the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353000/heroism-and-grief-6-residents-stories-wang-fuk-court-fire-hearings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3353000/heroism-and-grief-6-residents-stories-wang-fuk-court-fire-hearings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 11:01:23 +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 Lo Hoi-ying,Brian Wong Lo Hoi-ying,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 deputy director of the Home Affairs Department and the former head of the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) were the latest Hong Kong officials to testify at a public hearing on the city’s deadliest blaze in decades. Their cross-examination on Friday concluded the fourth round of evidential hearings held by the government-appointed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352830/tai-po-probe-department-did-its-best-repeatedly-urged-committee-hold-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352830/tai-po-probe-department-did-its-best-repeatedly-urged-committee-hold-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:07:06 +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 Lo Hoi-ying,Brian Wong Lo Hoi-ying,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 second of three witnesses from the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) testified on Thursday at a hearing into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades. The government-appointed independent committee continued to question members of the unit over the lack of oversight in the run-up to the fire at Wang Fung Court, with Nick Yung Siu-lun, senior... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352680/high-risk-wang-fuk-court-renovation-works-treated-low-risk-tai-po-probe-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352680/high-risk-wang-fuk-court-renovation-works-treated-low-risk-tai-po-probe-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 03:26:25 +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 Vivian Au,Emily Hung Vivian Au,Emily Hung The government-appointed administrator of Wang Fuk Court, the Hong Kong estate devastated by a deadly fire last November, will hold two online meetings with displaced residents this month after 240 flat owners threatened legal action in a petition. Hop On Management Company announced on Wednesday that the Zoom meetings will take place from 7pm to 9pm next Tuesday and from 2pm to 4pm on May 20, prompting complaints from residents about the virtual format and its limitations. Participation is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352655/wang-fuk-court-administrator-schedules-talks-after-residents-legal-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352655/wang-fuk-court-administrator-schedules-talks-after-residents-legal-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 13:48:01 +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. All eyes were on the Hong Kong Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) on Wednesday, as one of its officers testified before a judge-led panel about its role in the Tai Po blaze. Senior maintenance surveyor Andy Ku Siu-ping was the only witness giving testimony in the first of three sessions of the fourth round of evidential hearings. The ICU,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352299/tai-po-fire-probe-housing-bureaus-checking-unit-failed-follow-safety-issues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352299/tai-po-fire-probe-housing-bureaus-checking-unit-failed-follow-safety-issues?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 04:03:08 +0000 Davies Christian Surya,Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen,Lau Ka-kuen Davies Christian Surya,Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen,Lau Ka-kuen https://www.scmp.com/article/3351726/part-3-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/3351726/part-3-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 23:00:05 +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 Emily Hung Emily Hung More than 240 owners representing over 12 per cent of households at Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court petitioned the government-appointed administrator in late April to hold an extraordinary general meeting, saying they might seek legal action if the request was ignored. The owners said in a statement on Tuesday that they would consider applying to the Lands Tribunal if Hop On Management Company failed to hold the meeting within 45 days in accordance with the Building Management... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352490/more-240-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-petition-administrator-hold-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352490/more-240-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-petition-administrator-hold-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:49:24 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested seven people linked to a syndicate that allegedly targeted large maintenance projects through undisclosed conflicts of interest and a contractor who served in a dual role as consultant. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Tuesday said it had arrested five men and two women, aged 37 to 75, last week, including the chairman of an incorporated owners committee, the owner of a project contractor and the directors of a project... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352469/hong-kong-corruption-watchdog-arrests-7-over-rigged-maintenance-project-tender?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3352469/hong-kong-corruption-watchdog-arrests-7-over-rigged-maintenance-project-tender?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 07:07:01 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen The independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po blaze has finished 21 sessions of evidential hearings over three rounds, identifying loopholes in the supervision of the estate’s renovation project and the government’s regulation of fire hazards. The inferno broke out on November 26 last year when all eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court were undergoing exterior maintenance work and were covered in scaffolding and mesh netting. The fire tore through seven blocks, killing 168 people... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352423/what-public-inquiry-deadly-tai-po-blaze-has-revealed-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352423/what-public-inquiry-deadly-tai-po-blaze-has-revealed-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 00:30:08 +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 Vivian Au Vivian Au A proposed accountability framework will hold government department heads personally liable for systemic loopholes that they fail to flag to superiors, Hong Kong’s civil service chief has said. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan also said that public perception could play a role in decisions on pay adjustments for government employees, after being questioned about the potential impact of an inquiry into the city’s deadliest fire in decades. In a television appearance on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352275/top-civil-servants-liable-if-they-dont-flag-systemic-loopholes-under-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352275/top-civil-servants-liable-if-they-dont-flag-systemic-loopholes-under-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 11:08:55 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li More than 800 families displaced by the deadly Tai Po fire have expressed an interest in visiting their homes again after being allowed to return to the estate in recent weeks, a senior Hong Kong official has said. The government also expressed confidence that at least three-quarters of homeowners of Wang Chi House – the only one of Wang Fuk Court’s eight blocks left largely unscathed by last November’s fire – would accept its buy-back package by the deadline at the end of June. Deputy Chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352206/government-confident-75-wang-chi-house-owners-will-take-buy-back-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352206/government-confident-75-wang-chi-house-owners-will-take-buy-back-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 05:31:02 +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 Danny Mok,Jess Ma,Lo Hoi-ying Danny Mok,Jess Ma,Lo Hoi-ying Residents of Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court have been wrestling with a fresh sense of loss after returning to homes ravaged in last November’s fire, as they were forced to choose what to save under practical constraints and within a three-hour window. Cecilia* is one such Hongkonger. She considers herself fortunate to have discovered that her upper-floor flat was largely undamaged by the blaze. But now she faces losing family treasures, precious metals and antique furniture if she cannot locate them... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352189/what-leave-behind-returning-wang-fuk-court-residents-stuck-tough-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352189/what-leave-behind-returning-wang-fuk-court-residents-stuck-tough-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 01:00:15 +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 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Two victims of the Wang Fuk Court inferno dug through the ashes of their homes, only to each discover about HK$100,000 (US$12,800) in charred banknotes, just two of many such finds as residents returned to the fire-damaged Hong Kong estate on Thursday. On the same day, several local storage companies offered free services to affected residents as a show of compassion and solidarity. Thursday marked the second day that residents of Wang Tai House, one of the seven blocks severely damaged in last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352050/wang-fuk-court-resident-finds-charred-hk100000-inheritance-after-opening-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3352050/wang-fuk-court-resident-finds-charred-hk100000-inheritance-after-opening-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:06:20 +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. An independent committee investigating the deadly blaze at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court residential estate held its 21st day of evidential hearings on Thursday. Three witnesses from the Urban Renewal Authority gave evidence. URA case manager Matthew Chan Yat-ho, said the authority was aware of the practice of bid-rigging in the building maintenance sector, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351931/tai-po-fire-probe-uras-lack-price-checks-opened-door-unscrupulous-consultants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351931/tai-po-fire-probe-uras-lack-price-checks-opened-door-unscrupulous-consultants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 03:21:28 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong Note: This story has been updated to clarify former transport minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung’s remarks about his readiness to step down following the 2012 Lamma ferry tragedy. Where exactly does the buck stop? Senior Hong Kong civil servants are asking themselves that question after the unveiling of a new accountability system targeting department heads. They point to the deadly Tai Po fire last year as an example. An independent committee investigating the tragedy heard evidence officials... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3351906/will-top-hong-kong-civil-servants-pay-price-blunders-under-new-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3351906/will-top-hong-kong-civil-servants-pay-price-blunders-under-new-system?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:30:11 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong continues to grapple with the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire. On one hand, the authorities are pushing ahead with post-disaster arrangements for residents, including expanding the long-term resettlement plan and providing more opportunities for residents to retrieve their belongings. Meanwhile, an independent inquiry is examining systemic failures that contributed to the tragedy. Hopefully, this will spur fire safety revamps and help pursue accountability. The latest government... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351851/more-light-shed-tai-po-fire-trauma-and-systemic-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351851/more-light-shed-tai-po-fire-trauma-and-systemic-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:45:08 +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 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Homeowners of the only block undamaged in the deadly Wang Fuk Court inferno who decline the government’s buy-back offer will face significant challenges in the management and maintenance of their properties in the long run, Hong Kong authorities have warned. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said on Wednesday that while the government respected homeowners’ decisions, the possibility for authorities to invoke legislation to acquire all property titles in Wang Chi House “absolutely... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351784/challenges-ahead-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-who-reject-buy-back-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351784/challenges-ahead-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-who-reject-buy-back-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:12:52 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Fiona Sun Jeffie Lam,Fiona Sun Nearly 80 per cent of homeowners of the only block spared in the deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze in Hong Kong have expressed an initial willingness to sell their flats to the government, exceeding the three-quarters threshold set by authorities to extend a resettlement plan to them. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said on Tuesday that buying back the 248 flats at Wang Chi House would cost the government about HK$1 billion (US$127.6 million), on top of the roughly HK$6.8 billion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351658/hong-kong-adds-spared-wang-fuk-court-block-resettlement-plan-most-opt-sell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351658/hong-kong-adds-spared-wang-fuk-court-block-resettlement-plan-most-opt-sell?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:45:27 +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 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Grieving relatives of domestic helpers killed in the Tai Po fire have struggled to break the news to victims’ children while fending off scammers targeting their compensation from Hong Kong authorities, according to a workers’ rights advocate after a trip to Indonesia. Esther Tse Yan-yin, an organiser from the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, travelled to Indonesia in January to visit the immediate relatives of eight helpers who died in the inferno at Wang Fuk Court... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351582/families-indonesian-helpers-who-died-tai-po-fire-struggle-break-news-kids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351582/families-indonesian-helpers-who-died-tai-po-fire-struggle-break-news-kids?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:09:33 +0000