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Hong Kong fires and safety

Hong Kong fires and safety
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Hong Kong fires and safety. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Jessie Fu and Ron Cheng are also offering support to elderly people struggling to obtain information first-hand. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

‘I cried for an hour’: Hong Kong preachers offer support to Tai Po fire survivors

Jessie Fu and Ron Cheng volunteered to support survivors of last month’s fire, but say their work forced them to confront their own traumas.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Opinion | Transparency, accountability essential after Tai Po fire as Hong Kong heals

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Filipino victim in Hong Kong fire ‘planned to go home for good to be with son’

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong government ‘confident’ of finding site to rehouse Tai Po blaze residents

Identifying site for new subsidised flats is one of several options being considered for those left homeless by deadly inferno, senior official says.

Authorities are prioritising collecting views from displaced Wang Fuk Court residents. Photo: Karma Lo
Accidents and personal safety

Hong Kong man, 51, badly burnt after allegedly setting his own flat on fire

Authorities receive multiple calls at 3.43am as residents report blaze at estate, with occasional sounds of explosions.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong inferno exposes regulatory silos, lax oversight: who is accountable?

Industry insiders also ask whether housing authorities should have played bigger role in supervising renovation at Wang Fuk Court.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Editorial | Safety system overhaul needed to prevent repeat of deadly Hong Kong fire

The blaze has exposed a seeming culture of non-compliance and slack supervision at multiple levels in the industry and among the authorities.

Workers assess the damage in the aftermath of the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on December 11. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Video | THEY WON’T EVEN LET US MOURN IN PEACE!

THEY WON’T EVEN LET US MOURN IN PEACE!

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Scaffolding worker pay likely to rise in Hong Kong amid roll-out of new mesh

City is expected to install new fire-tested plastic meshes at more than 200 buildings from next month.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Opinion | After Tai Po fire, Hong Kong needs support, compassion – and answers

While the city waits for an inquiry to deliver findings, it also needs a renewed commitment to safety and oversight to rebuild public trust.

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Volunteers take a moment on December 8, in front of flowers left by mourners for the victims of the Tai Po fire tragedy. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

No need for complete switch from bamboo to metal scaffolding: Hong Kong minister

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn’s stance marks shift from Chief Secretary Eric Chan’s remarks following Tai Po fire.

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Damaged bamboo scaffolding is removed from the scene of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: Jelly Tse
Operation Santa Claus

Spirit of giving shines at Christmas fair as Hong Kong heals after fire tragedy

White Christmas Street Fair is held by Swire Properties to raise funds for Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraising initiative organised by the Post and RTHK.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Burial orders issued for Indonesians killed in Hong Kong blaze

Consulate says it is working closely with Hong Kong authorities, leading to ‘swift handling of Indonesian nationals affected by fire’.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Editorial | Mental health support essential for all of society after Tai Po fire tragedy

With time, meaningful comfort and social connections will help frontline survivors and the city as a whole recover and find a path forward.

People embrace each other after identifying deceased relatives at Kwong Fuk Community Hall on November 27, after the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po. Photo: Eugene Lee
Indonesia

‘She loved us so much’: Indonesian family mourns mother killed in Hong Kong fire

Siti Khotimah was working to fund her children’s education when she died in the Tai Po fire. Her husband wants to see that wish fulfilled.

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Indonesian domestic worker Siti Khotimah, who died in the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong considers designated labs to test scaffolding nets after deadly blaze

Stricter checks to be imposed on materials sampled on site amid concern over allegedly falsified safety documents.

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Hong Kong society

Letters | How Tai Po fire exposed weakness in Hong Kong contract governance

Readers call for steps to improve procurement and contract oversight, official accountability for lapses that led to the tragedy, and appreciation for donor generosity.

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Hong Kong society

Editorial | Snuffing out smoking on Hong Kong construction sites will boost safety

Regardless of whether a link is found between workers smoking and the Tai Po fire, the push to ban lighting up at construction sites is long overdue.

A no-smoking sign is posted at the Yee Kok Court renovation site in Cheung Sha Wan on December 4. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Death toll from Hong Kong fire rises to 160 as DNA tests confirm 1 more fatality

Police chief Joe Chow also reveals that a piece of bone has been found on the ground after scaffolding removed.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Exclusive | Indonesian team aims to get bodies of helpers killed in Hong Kong fire home soon

Filipino envoy in city also says Manila can move ‘quickly’ once Hong Kong has processed the necessary papers for worker killed in blaze.

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Hong Kong politics

Editorial | New Legco tasked with pushing for better governance of city, deepening reform

Lawmakers must work with the chief executive to advance post-fire recovery, improve livelihoods and encourage Hong Kong to play its unique role in national development.

Banners for the 2025 Legislative Council General Election are seen at Kwong Fuk Estate, next to the scene of the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, on December 7. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Steel bars brought in to strengthen building ravaged in Hong Kong’s Tai Po blaze

Bars hauled into flats at Wang Cheong House, the first of seven blocks engulfed by fire, while authorities say probe will take two to three weeks.

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Bundles of steel bars being lifted to the upper floors of Wang Cheong House, the first building in Wang Fuk Court that caught fire on November 26. Photo: Dickson Lee
Legislative Council election 2025

Tackling aftermath of deadly Hong Kong blaze among first tasks for new lawmakers

Election turnout rate of 31.9 per cent slightly higher than in 2021, with city leader saying poll will have profound impact on reforms after Tai Po fire.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Families provide DNA samples to help identify loved ones lost in Hong Kong fire

About 100 households asked to provide samples as authorities try to identify remains found at Wang Fuk Court.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Exclusive | Indonesian helper’s terrifying 3-hour ordeal as fire ravaged Hong Kong estate

Olive says she and her employer’s elderly parents spent an agonising three hours trapped in a smoke-filled bedroom before they were rescued.

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Olive and her employer’s parents were rescued at around 6pm on November 26. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Deaths among 13 households still missing in Tai Po fire not ruled out: welfare chief

Households remain uncontactable more than 10 days after Tai Po inferno as government plans to fast‑track smoking ban at construction sites.

Thirteen households at Wang Fuk Court remain uncontactable more than 10 days after the fire. Photo: Karma Lo
Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Letters | It shouldn’t take a tragedy for Hong Kong to treat domestic workers fairly

Readers discuss the wave of support for migrant helpers in the wake of the Tai Po fire, professionals who volunteer their skills, and the educational value of play.

Legislative Council election 2025

Editorial | A city in grief shows its strength and resilience at the ballot box

Hongkongers’ ability to mourn victims of the Tai Po fire while exercising their civic duty will be a testament to the city’s political maturity.

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