Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee has ordered a judge-led inquiry into the catastrophic fire at Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po, which killed at least 151 people—marking the deadliest blaze in the city since 1948.
The inferno erupted last Wednesday afternoon, engulfing seven of the eight 30-storey towers under renovation, where flammable safety netting, polystyrene boards, and bamboo scaffolding fuelled its rapid vertical and horizontal spread, dubbed an “external chimney effect.”
Over 2,000 firefighters battled for 40 hours to extinguish it, but faulty alarms in all blocks left residents unaware, and one firefighter perished among the victims.
Thirteen arrests, including construction firm directors from Prestige Construction, followed on manslaughter charges due to negligence in fire safety standards. Lee defended reforms without addressing resignation calls: “Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are plucked.”
Seven activists, including a student behind a 10,000-signature petition for accountability, faced sedition charges, drawing rebukes from Amnesty International: “Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the causes of the devastating fire…rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions.”
Erected in 1983, the estate offered 1,984 flats to around 4,600 people, nearly 40% of whom were 65 or older—many long-term dwellers in this subsidised haven—amplifying the loss’s profound impact.
For context, Hong Kong’s record fire at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918 killed over 600, while a 1948 warehouse blast claimed 176, cementing this event’s grim notoriety.
Officials anticipate the probe lasting three to four weeks, with potential toll rises as bodies are still recovered, fuelling demands for robust overhauls in fire safety and oversight.