Search-and-recovery teams have ended active rescue operations at the scene of a devastating high-rise fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Tai Po after the death toll rose to 128, while authorities say roughly 200 people remain unaccounted for. The blaze — which engulfed seven of the estate’s eight blocks and burned for more than 40 hours — is now the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades.
Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced the arrest of eight additional people linked to the renovation work around the estate. The arrests — reported to include scaffolding subcontractors, project managers and engineering consultants — follow earlier detentions of three construction company officials who were held on suspicion of manslaughter. Authorities said the probe is focusing on renovation materials and whether safety regulations were bypassed.
Investigators say the blaze spread extraordinarily rapidly because of a combination of factors: green safety mesh and bamboo scaffolding wrapped around the towers, the presence of highly flammable polystyrene or foam panels around lift lobbies and windows, and strong winds on the day the fire started. Officials also reported that fire-alarm systems in the estate’s buildings were not functioning when inspected after the blaze, hampering early warning and evacuation.
Fire and emergency officials completed evidence collection at parts of the site but warned the death toll could still change as teams work to identify victims and to account for residents. Dozens of people were injured — including firefighters — and many families remain in limbo as authorities process duplicate missing-person reports and cross-check survivors. The government has declared a period of official mourning and announced relief measures for victims and their families.
The scale of the disaster has prompted public anger and urgent calls for an independent inquiry into construction and fire-safety oversight, with community groups and some lawmakers demanding a full reckoning of regulatory failures. Officials say the criminal investigation may take several weeks and will examine whether corruption or negligence played a part in approval or supervision of the renovation work.
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