Hong Kong Launches Judge-Led Inquiry Into Deadly High-Rise Blaze That Killed 151

Hong Kong’s chief executive announced on Dec. 2 that a judge-led committee will investigate the cause of last month’s deadly apartment complex fire, after authorities said that materials used during renovation works at Wang Fuk Court had fueled the blaze.

“In order to avoid similar tragedies again, I will set up a judge-led independent committee to examine the reason behind the cause and rapid spreading (of the fire) and related issues,” Hong Kong Special Administration Region Chief Executive John Lee told a news conference.

“This fire exposed the gross negligence of maintenance construction from construction to supervision, errors in multiple links, and we had to make systematic changes,” Lee outlined in a post on his Facebook page.

He added that as the criminal investigation and investigation into the cause of the Nov. 26 fire continue, authorities would examine a number of issues, such as whether “construction safety requirements, standards, supervision, and the daily maintenance system of building repair works are sound.”

Other issues to be examined include materials used in building maintenance and whether the fire protection system installed in the buildings was sufficient, the Hong Kong chief executive said.

On Dec. 1, officials overseeing the investigation said that tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the fire revealed that it did not meet fire-retardant standards. They also said that foam insulation used by contractors had fanned the flames, and fire alarms at the complex were also not working properly.

Authorities also revealed on Monday that the official death toll had risen to 151.

Lee confirmed in his Facebook post on Dec. 2 that the total number of those injured stands at 79, of whom 40 are still in the hospital. He added that police have ruled out a number of missing cases and are following up on around 30 remaining missing-person investigations—down from an estimated 40 on Dec. 1.

However, not all those missing who might have died in the fire may be accounted for. On Dec. 1, police official Tsang Shuk-yun told reporters during a press conference that “some of the bodies have turned into ash, therefore we might not be able to locate all missing individuals.

13 Arrested for Manslaughter

Hong Kong police said on Dec. 1 that 12 men and one woman aged between 43 and 77 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter as part of a criminal investigation into the blaze. Among those arrested are major contractors, engineering consultants, and scaffolding subcontractors.

Wang Fuk Court is in the Tai Po district of the New Territories and was built in the 1980s. It consists of eight towers with nearly 2,000 units and an estimated population of 4,800.

The fire began on Nov. 26 and engulfed seven of the eight towers, sending flames and smoke billowing out of windows. By the early hours of Nov. 28, local time, the fire was mostly contained.

The disaster is one of the worst in the city’s history.

In the wake of the tragedy, condolences poured in from around the world.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Nov. 27 that Washington extended “its deepest condolences to the people of Hong Kong, and especially to the victims and families affected by the devastating Tai Po fire.”

He said the United States mourns the loss of life and honors the “courage of emergency teams working tirelessly to respond to this tragedy.”

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said in a Nov. 27 message that she was “deeply saddened” by the scale of the tragedy.

“I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and offer my sincere sympathies to their families,” she said.

British Consul General Brian Davidson said in a Nov. 27 post on X, “Our hearts go out to all those grieving loved ones lost in the Tai Po fire, and to those still waiting anxiously for news,” adding that the UK stood “in solidarity with Hong Kong during this harrowing time.”

Jacob Burg, Evgenia Filimianova, and Reuters contributed to this report.