HONG KONG — Authorities in Hong Kong will establish an independent, judge-led committee to investigate the cause of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, Chief Executive John Lee announced on Tuesday, as public pressure mounts over alleged safety failures and oversight lapses.
The fire, which tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex last week, has so far claimed 151 lives, with around 30 people still missing. Seven high-rise towers housing more than 4,000 residents were engulfed in flames, prompting one of the largest emergency responses Hong Kong has seen in years.
Criminal and Corruption Investigations Underway
Police have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the disaster. Separately, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has detained 12 additional individuals over possible graft related to the renovation works blamed for fueling the blaze. It remains unclear whether any of those detained face charges on both fronts.
Investigators say substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam—materials reportedly used during renovation—caused the fire to spread rapidly. Some of these materials were allegedly installed in hard-to-inspect areas, raising questions about contractor practices and regulatory oversight.
Chief Executive: “No Tolerance for Exploiting Tragedy”
With public anger rising, officials have urged residents to avoid politicizing the tragedy. Responding to reports that a student and two others are under investigation for possible sedition, Lee said authorities would punish anyone who “exploits the tragedy,” while declining to comment on individual cases.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, criticized the arrests and urged transparency, saying legitimate questions about public safety should not be suppressed.
China’s national security office issued its own warning, cautioning against attempts to “disrupt Hong Kong through disaster,” referencing fears of renewed unrest similar to the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Despite the crisis, Lee confirmed that legislative elections scheduled for Sunday will proceed as planned.
Residents Previously Raised Fire Safety Concerns
Officials acknowledged that residents had lodged complaints as early as September 2024, warning that the renovation scaffolding and mesh appeared dangerously flammable. The Labour Department had previously reassured tenants that they faced “relatively low fire risks.”
Subsequent testing of mesh samples revealed they did not meet fire-retardant standards. Investigators also disclosed that insulation foam used by contractors intensified the flames and that some fire alarms in the complex were malfunctioning at the time of the incident.
Ongoing Search in Hardest-Hit Towers
Authorities have searched all but the two most severely damaged towers, warning that the final phase of the search could take weeks. Images released by police show officers in protective suits navigating hallways with charred walls, collapsed ceilings, and deep pools of water from days of firefighting.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) confirmed that more than 60 pets—including cats, dogs, and turtles—died in the blaze, while over 200 were rescued.
Community Mourning and Global Vigils
Residents have set up makeshift memorials near the complex, and tribute events are planned across Hong Kong. Additional vigils will take place this week in Tokyo, Taipei, and London. Among the dead are at least nine Indonesian domestic helpers and one from the Philippines, highlighting the tragedy’s impact on migrant worker communities.
Support for Survivors
Nearly 1,500 residents have been moved from emergency shelters into temporary housing, while close to 1,000 others are now staying in hotels and youth hostels. Authorities are offering emergency payments of HK$10,000 (US$1,284) per household and expedited services for replacing lost documents such as ID cards, passports, and marriage certificates.
The government’s upcoming independent inquiry aims to uncover exactly how the fire spread so rapidly and why safety concerns went unaddressed—questions families and survivors say must be answered before they can begin rebuilding their lives.
