Hong Kong's most deadly fire in decades was the result of a year-long safety complaint

The city's Labour Department informed residents of the housing complex that had been engulfed by the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in 70 years that they faced only "relatively small fire risks". This was after residents complained repeatedly about the fire hazards caused by renovation work.

Residents of Wang Fuk Court, in the northern part of Hong Kong, had expressed concerns about maintenance activities in September 2024. They were concerned, for example, about the potential flammability the green mesh that contractors used to cover bamboo scaffolding around the buildings.

The agency that enforces construction standards established by the Building Department, the Department, reviewed the safety certification of the mesh used to catch falling debris and informed residents that the "flame retardant performance" of the material met standards.

Hong Kong Police said Thursday that exterior walls of buildings in the complex "had protective nets and membranes as well as waterproof tarpaulins and plastic sheets which were suspected to not meet fire safety standards." Prestige Construction, a renovation contractor, has been accused of manslaughter.

It is not known what caused the fire that swept through Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Wednesday, which claimed at least 94 people's lives. The fire spread quickly through the exterior scaffolding, according to Jiang Liming, an expert in fire safety at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who reviewed the video footage.

Prestige, the company that won a HK$330,000,000 ($42.4,000,000) contract to renovate the complex in 2024, has not responded to repeated phone calls. Authorities have not identified the three people arrested. They could not be contacted. When a reporter went to Prestige's offices on Friday morning, metal shutters had been removed from the entrance.

When asked about the Labour Department reviewing the safety certification of the mesh, Hong Kong Police referred to an announcement from Thursday in which they said that it would "gather the evidence and conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of fire" after the fire was extinguished.

When the Labour Department said that residents faced low fire risk as long as welding processes were avoided, it did not mean they were ignoring potential hazards. The department also stated that it reminded the contractor of fire prevention measures.

The agency also stated that 16 safety inspections were conducted at Wang Fuk Court from July 2024 to November 2025. The department said it issued six improvement notes to the contractor for its work on the complex, and that three prosecutions were initiated.

Could not determine whether the proceedings were successful or the response of the firm.

HONG KONG GRENFELL?

The fire that raged on Wednesday spread with shocking speed.

The first fire alarm was received at Wang Fuk Court at 2:51 pm. In the five minutes that it took to get to the scene, the fire had spread across the scaffolding and into the interior of building, spreading to other towers within the complex.

Seven of the eight 32-story buildings were in flames within four hours. First responders had difficulty reaching higher floors due to thick smoke.

The complex houses 4,600 residents. Hundreds were moved into temporary housing. As of Thursday, almost 300 people were still missing.

Jiang, assistant professor of the Polytechnic University department of building, environment, and energy engineering, likened the fire to London's Grenfell Public-Housing Fire in 2017, which killed 72 people.

The investigation revealed that the British government and construction industry, as well as firms involved with the exterior cladding of the building, had failed to meet safety standards.

He said, "It is a similar type of fire travel mechanism: the fire spread from the façade to the interior of the apartment."

John Lee, the leader of Hong Kong has announced that the government will examine the use bamboo scaffolding. Separately, the Building and Labour departments announced Thursday that they will be conducting emergency inspections on renovation buildings to ensure that scaffolding and safety nets comply with fire-safety regulations.

The police said that they also found foam in the complex, which could have caused the rapid expansion of the fire.

Peter Leung, a Facebook user from September 2024 posted pictures of white material burning on the "Wang Fuk Court Resident Exchange Group" with the caption "the window insulation was flammable."

Leung didn't respond to a message sent via Facebook.

Chau Sze Kit of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union said that foam "burns rapidly and produces thick, poisonous smoke".

He said that the material could help to prevent dust and damage to glass windows during construction. But "did management and site supervisors take into consideration this risk?"

Foam installed near the windows of Tommy Au Wai Chi's parents prevented them from noticing giant flames and heavy smoking outside their home.

The 58-year old truck driver said, "They didn't know there was a blaze until I called them." His parents have been rescued, and are currently in stable condition at the hospital.

Chris Wong expressed her anger over the foam that was used to block her apartment windows. She believes her mother, 72, is still trapped and she has not heard anything.

The government has laws but does it enforce them on safety and quality? "I have my doubts."

Additional Fire Safety Concerns

Reviewing the minutes from meetings between building management and homeowners over the last year revealed new concerns about fire safety.

In October 2025, the management informed the homeowners' committee that the items in need of repair or maintenance included fire water inlets and hose components, such as fire nozzles.

The committee also received a report in July 2025 that "some of the hoses within the fire tanks had shown signs of ageing and corrosion during waterproofing works." Participants in the meeting recommended that the hoses be replaced.

In November 2024 the committee expressed concern about the possibility that the number solar panels on tower rooftops "could violate fire safety regulations." The committee suggested that the fire department be consulted.

Could not determine whether any action was taken to address these concerns. The management at Wang Fuk Court has not responded to emails and phone calls.

Residents have also complained that contractors smoke around scaffolding.

Jacky Cheung sent a video that he claimed to have taken, showing a construction worker smoking near the scaffolding. The news agency confirmed that the video was taken at Wang Fuk Court but could not confirm the exact date.

Cheung claimed that he complained to management about smoking incidents in February and sent the video, but they didn't do anything. Reporting by Clare Jim in Hong Kong, James Pomfret in Beijing, Antoni Slodkowski and Claire Fu in Singapore. Writing by Marius Zaharia. Editing by Katerina An.

(source: Reuters)