The death toll from the devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district has risen to 128, officials confirmed on Friday. The blaze—one of the deadliest in the city’s history—has left hundreds injured, many still missing, and entire apartment blocks in ruins.
Firefighters say the inferno engulfed seven of the estate’s eight towers, with flames fanned by flammable materials used in renovation works and a failure of the fire-alarm system at critical moments.
Who’s been arrested — expanding the net of responsibility
On Friday, Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog, Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), announced the arrests of eight more individuals—bringing the total number of people in custody linked to the fire to eleven.
The detainees include scaffolding subcontractors, project managers, and directors of an engineering consultancy involved in the recent renovation of Wang Fuk Court.
Authorities suspect a mix of gross negligence, use of unsafe materials, and possible corruption: highly flammable foam panels were reportedly installed near windows and lift lobbies, and bamboo scaffolding sheathed in mesh – common in local renovation practices – proved a conduit for the fire to spread rapidly up the exterior of the buildings.
Fire-safety failures: alarms silent when they mattered most
Investigators confirmed that fire alarms in the estate “did not function properly” — in some towers the system failed altogether. Residents reported receiving no warning as smoke and flames engulfed their homes; many escaped only because neighbours alerted them personally.
Combined with the flammable renovation materials and external scaffolding, the alarm failures likely turned what might have been a manageable fire into a catastrophic inferno.
Aftermath: grief, accountability and calls for reform
As rescue efforts wind down, identification of victims continues — but roughly 150–200 people remain unaccounted for, and many of the 128 confirmed dead are yet to be identified.
In response to the tragedy, authorities have declared a period of mourning. The government announced a relief fund of HK$300 million to aid displaced residents, while charities and the public mobilise support for survivors.
But grief has quickly turned into anger. Calls are growing for sweeping reforms to building-safety regulations, mandatory fire-resistant materials in renovations, and transparent oversight of construction practices. Many see the arrests as a first — but insufficient — step toward accountability.
What’s next — deeper probe and potential repercussions
The investigation, expected to last several weeks, aims to uncover the full chain of responsibility — from contractors to inspectors — and determine whether criminal charges like manslaughter, negligence, and corruption will be pursued.
Meanwhile, fire-safety authorities say they will conduct urgent inspections of high-rise estates across Hong Kong — especially those undergoing renovation — to prevent another tragedy of this scale.
For residents, the destruction of Wang Fuk Court isn’t just material — it’s the loss of homes, memories, neighbours and lives. The coming days may define whether Hong Kong can learn from this tragedy — or whether the cost of neglect will be repeated.
