A devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Hong Kong’s northern suburbs has claimed at least 128 lives and raised serious allegations of corruption and negligence regarding recent renovations. The inferno erupted on the afternoon of March 15, 2024, engulfing seven of the eight residential towers within the complex, which housed approximately 4,800 residents.
In response to the tragedy, police have arrested three men linked to the renovations, charging them with manslaughter and gross negligence. They were released on bail but were subsequently re-arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), highlighting their senior roles in the renovation efforts. Prior to this, ICAC had detained eight other individuals associated with the project.
Authorities have not disclosed the name of the company linked to the suspects, but documents from the homeowners association indicate that the Prestige Construction & Engineering Company managed the renovations. Following the arrests, police seized numerous documents from the company, which remained unresponsive when contacted.
Safety Concerns Voiced Before the Fire
Residents had expressed concerns regarding safety issues, particularly about the materials being used in the renovation efforts. Over the course of the past year, complaints were lodged with Hong Kong authorities regarding the scaffolding netting materials. The city’s labor department confirmed it had received these complaints and conducted 16 inspections of the renovation project since July 2023. Officials had repeatedly warned contractors about the necessity of adhering to fire safety standards, with the most recent inspection taking place just a week before the fire.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire originated from a lower-level scaffolding netting of one building and rapidly spread due to highly flammable foam panels, which ignited and caused glass to shatter, exacerbating the fire’s intensity. Chris Tang, the city’s secretary for security, noted that the blaze escalated quickly, resulting in significant damage.
The labor department announced that it has initiated three prosecutions against the construction company for violating safety regulations, resulting in fines totaling 30,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately $3,850 USD). In 2023, the company had already faced penalties for unrelated safety infractions.
Tragic Aftermath and Ongoing Investigations
First responders reported that some fire alarms within the complex failed to operate during the emergency, particularly affecting older residents, although specific numbers of malfunctioning alarms were not disclosed.
Firefighters battled the blaze for over a day, finally bringing it under control after roughly 40 hours. During this time, 79 individuals suffered injuries, including twelve firefighters, while one firefighter tragically lost his life. Even two days after the fire was extinguished, smoke continued to escape from the remnants of the structure due to intermittent flare-ups.
As search efforts concluded, authorities confirmed that they still need to identify 44 bodies from the total recovered. Approximately 150 individuals are still unaccounted for. Among the deceased are two Indonesian migrant workers, with the Indonesian Consul General, Yul Edison, reporting that eleven others working in the complex remain missing.
In a moment of reflection, mourners gathered at the site, leaving flowers and tributes to the victims. A poignant sign among the floral offerings read, “More than 128 innocent lives, what did they do wrong?” In a gesture of mourning, the city has lowered flags to half-staff, and Chief Executive John Lee led a moment of silence at government headquarters.
This tragic incident stands as the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades, surpassing the toll of a 1996 commercial building fire that killed 41 people and a warehouse fire in 1948 that resulted in 176 fatalities, according to local reports. The ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the fire will likely have significant implications for construction safety and regulatory practices in the region.
