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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.
Joe and Annie visit their flat. Photo: Theodora Yu
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Wang Fuk Court family’s marathon efforts to retrieve belongings one last time

Residents Joe and Annie race against time to pack anything valuable they can find during second and final visit.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Video | ‘Farewell, Wang Fuk Court’

Hong Kong housing

Fatal subdivided flat fire highlights need to tackle substandard homes: minister

Accidents and personal safety

1 dead, 4 injured as Hong Kong subdivided flat fire forces 300 to be evacuated

Man, aged 69, killed and four taken to hospital after fire broke out at flat inside Man Yuen Building in Jordan late on Thursday.

The fire broke out at a subdivided flat in a 62-year-old building that was undergoing renovation. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong society

Operation targeting fire safety in old Hong Kong buildings extended for 2 years

Initial two-month scheme resulted in 75 prosecutions, with fire service aiming to check another 5,000 buildings following Tai Po blaze.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Government to handle Wang Fuk Court insurance claims under buy-back plan: Hop On

But some residents who took part in second briefing by administrator say questions remain over how and when they can expect to receive compensation.

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Hong Kong society

Elderly woman dies in fire sparked by faulty air-conditioner in Hong Kong flat

Blaze ignited at Yu Tung Court in Tung Chung on Friday morning, with 300 people evacuated.

Yu Tung Court residential estate in Tung Chung. Photo: Google Maps
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Smoking ban at construction sites must be implemented without delay

Proposed legislation to restrict smoking at sites is a reasonable step towards fostering responsible behaviour and boosting safety.

Hong Kong society

Exclusive | Cigarette butts ‘strong evidence’ of smoking ban breach at work sites: Chris Sun

Labour chief reveals further details of proposed ban and lays out other priorities, including injury compensation mechanism for online delivery workers.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Heroism and grief: 6 residents’ stories from Wang Fuk Court fire hearings

Read the powerful accounts of six residents, among 24 who appeared before independent committee investigating deadly Tai Po blaze.

The fire at Wang Fuk Court began on November 26 last year, killing 168 people, including a firefighter, and displacing about 5,000 residents. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Tai Po fire: building authorities slammed at inquiry for ‘mechanical mindset’

Former head of Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit acknowledges that old supervision mechanism had created ‘blind spot’.

The fire at Wang Fuk Court killed 168 people and left nearly 5,000 others displaced. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Housing checking unit admits ‘blind spots’ amid ‘robotic’ workflow criticism

Te Chi-wang, deputy director of the Home Affairs Department, and ex-ICU head Lau Fu-kwok take stand at hearing into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Inspector failed to spot illegal alterations, Hong Kong fire probe hears

Senior maintenance surveyor thought wooden boards used to cover temporary openings at Wang Fuk Court designed to protect ‘broken’ windows.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Tai Po fire: inspectors failed to anticipate firms’ deception, inquiry hears

Senior surveyor becomes first member of Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit to testify at hearing into city’s deadliest fire in decades.

Andy Ku (centre), a senior maintenance surveyor for the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, at City Gallery in Central for the hearing. Photo: Edmond So
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Wang Fuk Court administrator to hold online meetings with displaced residents

Residents demand answers on finances, insurance claims and renovation contracts following deadly fire at Hong Kong estate.

Wang Fuk Court’s government-appointed administrator will hold online meetings with displaced residents petitioned for talks. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Tai Po probe: Housing Bureau’s checking unit failed to monitor safety issues

Committee’s lead counsel presses Independent Checking Unit officer on its responsibilities and whether it had properly overseen key safety issues.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Fire services to be ‘gatekeepers’ for safety, Hong Kong security chief vows

Secretary for Security says responsibility for fire safety ultimately lies with Fire Services Department, amid fallout from Tai Po blaze.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Nearly all residents of blaze-hit towers in Tai Po return to collect belongings

Government says 6,265 people joined return programme that ended on Monday, with only about 50 households not taking part.

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According to the government, more than 1,000 personnel from various departments were deployed each day of the operation. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

45% of fire safety shutdowns run past new 2-month cap after Tai Po blaze

Official figures show 5,674 of 12,558 deactivation notices filed in past two years involved work that lasted for more than two months.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

What to leave? Returning Wang Fuk Court residents stuck with tough decisions

Residents returning to Wang Fuk Court after last November’s fire make tough choices on what to pack and what to leave behind.

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Accidents and personal safety

Hong Kong police investigate ‘suspicious’ fire after man dies in fall

Elderly woman was also rushed to hospital after heavy smoke inhalation, police say.

Royal Garden on Boundary Street, Ho Man Tin. Photo: Google Maps
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Tai Po fire: tendering system can’t stop firms manipulating market, inquiry told

Urban Renewal Authority officials tell hearing that body lacks resources to combat bid-rigging linked to estates’ renovation projects.

Peter Wong (centre), the URA’s director of building rehabilitation, was among those who testified at the hearing on Thursday. Photo: Edmond So
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Wang Fuk Court resident finds charred HK$100,000 inheritance after opening safe

Another resident of fire-ravaged estate also discovers HK$100,000 in charred banknotes after returning under government scheme.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Editorial | More light is shed on Tai Po fire trauma and systemic failures

As returning residents share images of their charred homes, the inquiry shines a light on systemic flaws that contributed to the tragedy.

Good Schools Guide

How parents can help their children deal with grief after the Tai Po tragedy

Coverage of the Wang Fuk Court fire could affect most children, but how they display their feelings may differ depending on age, culture and other factors.

Residents fly kites at Tai Po Waterfront Park, Hong Kong, in February, with the burnt buildings of Wang Fuk Court in the background. Photo: Eugene Lee
Crime in Hong Kong

Auditor takes aim at fire services over delayed safety hazard prosecutions

Fire services yet to launch prosecutions over 34 mini-storage premises that failed to follow safety hazard orders, with some first checked in 2016.

The Audit Commission’s report focused on fire safety at industrial buildings, a subject that came under public scrutiny after a blaze at a premises in Ngau Tau Kok took 108 hours to tame and killed two firefighters in June 2016. Photo: Felix Wong
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Sisters aim for fresh start after ‘saying goodbye’ to ruined Wang Fuk Court flat

Some residents grapple with loss of belongings and condition of their homes on their return to Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Initial support for HK$1 billion buyback of block unscathed in Tai Po blaze

Nearly 80 per cent of Wang Chi House homeowners willing to sell, with buy-back of tower to cost about HK$1 billion, deputy financial secretary says.

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