Hong Kong officials say their probe into the deadly fire – which claimed the lives of at least 151 residents – has uncovered that some of the netting wrapped around the bamboo scaffolding during renovation work wasn’t up to fire-safety standards.
It started on the lower section of netting that covered the scaffolding on one of the towers, then moved inside after foam window panels ignited, blowing out the glass.
Once the wind got involved, the flames spread across the towers pretty quickly, as all of them were wrapped in the same type of netting.
While early tests suggested the material met safety requirements, later inspections showed it didn’t pass the proper standards.
Eric Chan, the Chief Secretary, hinted that contractors might have skimped on materials to boost profits.
As of Monday, donations for those affected have climbed past 900 million HKD, and many locals have been leaving flowers, handwritten notes, and other tributes at a temporary memorial near the charred buildings in Tai Po.
The Wang Fuk high-rise complex, located in the Tai Po district, was home to more than 4,600 residents in total.
Challenging Searches
Hong Kong’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit has already gone through five of the seven burned towers, but they’ve only been able to make limited progress on the last two, according to Tsang Shuk-yin, who heads the police casualty team.
On Monday, crews recovered eight more bodies – three of which had been located earlier by firefighters but couldn’t be safely removed until now.
Dozens of people are still unaccounted for, though some are likely among the 39 victims who haven’t been formally identified yet.
Both government funding and private donations will go toward helping survivors rebuild their homes, and officials say long-term support will also be available.
By Monday, more than 680 residents had relocated to hostels or hotels, while another 1,144 moved into temporary housing units. Two emergency shelters are still open for anyone who needs them.
The Labour Department also confirmed that residents had been raising concerns about the construction netting for almost a year.
Officials carried out 16 inspections on the renovation work beginning in summer 2024, warning contractors several times that the netting needed to meet fire-safety standards.
The most recent inspection had happened just a week before the fire.
Police have arrested at least 13 people so far, including an engineering consultant and several directors from the construction company involved.
