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Hong Kong officials said Monday that their investigation into a deadly blaze that killed at least 151 people has revealed some of the netting that covered scaffolding used in renovations was not up to fire-safety codes, as a wave of public sympathy and support was met by government moves to stifle criticism.
The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday but took until Friday to fully extinguish, started on the lower-level netting covering bamboo scaffolding around one building in the Wang Fuk Court highrise complex. It then swept inside as foam panels placed over windows caught fire and blew out the glass. Winds carried flames from building to building that all were covered in scaffolding and netting, until seven of eight were ablaze.
Initial tests of the netting showed it was up to code, but subsequently investigators collected 20 samples from all areas, including higher floors, and found seven failed safety standards, suggesting contractors skimped to make greater profits, said Eric Chan, Hong Kong’s chief secretary.
“They just wanted to make money at the expense of people’s lives,” he told reporters.
Donations for survivors of the fire had reached 900 million Hong Kong dollars ($161 million Cdn) as of Monday, authorities said, as a steady stream of people placed flowers, cards and other tributes at a makeshift memorial near the burned out block of buildings.
“When something happens, we come out to help each other, ” said Loretta Loh, after paying her respects at the site. “I have a heavy heart.”
Some 4,600 people lived in the Wang Fuk Court complex, located in the suburb of Tai Po.
Staff with the Hong Kong police force’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit had searched five of the burned buildings, but only made partial progress through the remaining two, said Tsang Shuk-yin, head of the police casualty inquiry unit. Teams were assessing the safety of the other buildings, including the one that caught fire first and suffered the worst damage.
On Monday, they recovered another eight bodies, including three that firefighters found earlier but could not retrieve. Dozens of people remain unaccounted for, but some are likely among the 39 bodies not yet identified, Tsang said.
“We will have to wait until we get through all seven blocks before we can make a final report,” she said.
Private donations and 300 million Hong Kong dollars ($53.9 million Cdn) in funds from the government will be used to help victims rebuild their homes and provide long–term support, local officials said. The government has also given survivors cash subsidies to help with expenses, including funerals, and is working to find them housing.
By Monday, 683 residents had found places in local hotels and hostels, and another 1,144 moved into transitional housing units. Two emergency shelters remained open for others, authorities said.
Residents had complained for almost a year about the construction netting, Hong Kong’s Labour Department said. It confirmed officials had carried out 16 inspections of the renovation project since July 2024 and had warned contractors multiple times in writing that they had to meet fire safety requirements. The last inspection was just a week before the fire.
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authorities and police have arrested 14 people, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, according to Chris Tang, the secretary for security.
Petition starter, others arrested
People increasingly have been questioning whether government officials should also be held responsible, but the leeway for dissent is limited in the former British colony, which came under Chinese control in 1997 and has moved to quiet public criticism on national security grounds.
Dissent in the city has been muzzled since hundreds of thousands took to the streets in 2019 against government plans to allow extradition to mainland China. Hong Kong now virtually bans mass protests and bars opposition political figures from running in legislature elections.
The death toll continues to rise after a massive fire tore through an apartment complex in Hong Kong last week. As Janella Hamilton reports, British Columbians with connections to Hong Kong gathered to honour those who have died and the dozens still missing.
On Saturday, the Office for Safeguarding National Security blasted what it called “evil schemes” that had “the ulterior motives of using the disaster to create trouble and disrupt Hong Kong.” It did not give specifics.
A man who helped organize an online petition calling for government accountability was arrested Saturday on suspicion of sedition, local media including HK01 and Sing Tao Daily reported. Two others were arrested on Sunday, including a volunteer who offered help in Tai Po after the fire broke out, the same outlets reported.
Police would not comment specifically on the arrests, telling The Associated Press only that “police will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law.”
