Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA)

Wang Fuk Court residents flag registration issues ahead of online owners’ meeting

10 May 2026 - 10:49PM

Bar Association proposes ‘double-track’ approach to criminalising bid-rigging

Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet says implementing ‘criminal track’ alongside ‘civil track’ to encourage whistle-blowing will increase deterrence.

10 May 2026 - 8:30AMvideocam

Heroism and grief: 6 residents’ stories from Wang Fuk Court fire hearings

Read the powerful accounts of six residents, among 24 who appeared before independent committee investigating deadly Tai Po blaze.

9 May 2026 - 7:57PM

Tai Po fire: building authorities slammed at inquiry for ‘mechanical mindset’

Former head of Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit acknowledges that old supervision mechanism had created ‘blind spot’.

8 May 2026 - 10:59PM

Housing checking unit admits ‘blind spots’ amid ‘robotic’ workflow criticism

Te Chi-wang, deputy director of the Home Affairs Department, and ex-ICU head Lau Fu-kwok take stand at hearing into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades.

8 May 2026 - 5:16PM

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: Jelly Tse

Inspector failed to spot illegal alterations, Hong Kong fire probe hears

Senior maintenance surveyor thought wooden boards used to cover temporary openings at Wang Fuk Court designed to protect ‘broken’ windows.

7 May 2026 - 9:38PM

Missed inspections at Wang Fuk Court due to late notice of new guidelines

Nick Yung, senior maintenance surveyor of the ICU, takes the stand after his colleague Andy Ku testified a day earlier.

8 May 2026 - 5:15PM

Tai Po fire: inspectors failed to anticipate firms’ deception, inquiry hears

Senior surveyor becomes first member of Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit to testify at hearing into city’s deadliest fire in decades.

6 May 2026 - 10:37PM

Andy Ku (centre), a senior maintenance surveyor for the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, at City Gallery in Central for the hearing. Photo: Edmond So

Hong Kong society

Wang Fuk Court administrator to hold online meetings with displaced residents

Residents demand answers on finances, insurance claims and renovation contracts following deadly fire at Hong Kong estate.

7 May 2026 - 9:41AM

Wang Fuk Court’s government-appointed administrator will hold online meetings with displaced residents petitioned for talks. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy: Infographics

Tai Po probe: Housing Bureau’s checking unit failed to monitor safety issues

Committee’s lead counsel presses Independent Checking Unit officer on its responsibilities and whether it had properly overseen key safety issues.

7 May 2026 - 8:28PM

Residents passed from pillar to post as warnings before fatal Hong Kong fire went unheeded

The third round of Wang Fuk Court fire hearings, held from April 20 to 30, exposed a “regulatory vacuum” in key areas that contributed to the high death toll, as departments said oversight lay elsewhere.

6 May 2026 - 8:32AM

Fire services to be ‘gatekeepers’ for safety, Hong Kong security chief vows

Secretary for Security says responsibility for fire safety ultimately lies with Fire Services Department, amid fallout from Tai Po blaze.

6 May 2026 - 12:40AM

The proposed amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance in response to the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court will strengthen oversight. Photo: Jelly Tse

More than 240 Wang Fuk Court homeowners petition administrator to hold meeting

More than 12 per cent of households sign petition and say they will take legal action if Hop On Management fails to hold meeting within 45 days.

5 May 2026 - 11:01PM

A Wang Fuk Court homeowner submits the petition to Hop On Management Company on April 29. Photo: Handout

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong corruption watchdog arrests 7 over rigged maintenance project tender

Syndicate suspected of targeting large maintenance project involving undisclosed conflicts of interest and contractor who doubled as consultant.

5 May 2026 - 4:25PM

Explainers

What the public inquiry into deadly Tai Po blaze has revealed so far

Ahead of fourth round of hearings that begin on Wednesday, we unpack what has emerged about disaster during independent committee’s 21 sessions.

5 May 2026 - 2:04PM

Nearly all residents of blaze-hit towers in Tai Po return to collect belongings

Government says 6,265 people joined return programme that ended on Monday, with only about 50 households not taking part.

6 May 2026 - 10:32AMvideocam

According to the government, more than 1,000 personnel from various departments were deployed each day of the operation. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong politics

Top civil servants ‘liable if they don’t flag systemic loopholes’ under proposal

Civil service chief also says public perception can play role in decisions on pay adjustments for government employees.

4 May 2026 - 12:15AM

Hong Kong society

Tai Po fire: over 800 Wang Fuk Court families ask to make second trip to estate

Government to review first round of returns to ensure process can run as smoothly as possible, Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk says.

2 May 2026 - 8:32PMvideocam

45% of fire safety shutdowns run past new 2-month cap after Tai Po blaze

Official figures show 5,674 of 12,558 deactivation notices filed in past two years involved work that lasted for more than two months.

2 May 2026 - 7:50PM

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. At present, contractors are only required to notify the fire department by submitting a shutdown notice after deactivating fire safety systems. Photo: Jelly Tse

What to leave? Returning Wang Fuk Court residents stuck with tough decisions

Residents returning to Wang Fuk Court after last November’s fire make tough choices on what to pack and what to leave behind.

3 May 2026 - 5:54PMvideocam

Residents return to the estate to collect their belongings. Photo: Karma Lo

Tai Po fire: tendering system can’t stop firms manipulating market, inquiry told

Urban Renewal Authority officials tell hearing that body lacks resources to combat bid-rigging linked to estates’ renovation projects.

1 May 2026 - 9:06AM

Wang Fuk Court resident finds charred HK$100,000 inheritance after opening safe

Another resident of fire-ravaged estate also discovers HK$100,000 in charred banknotes after returning under government scheme.

2 May 2026 - 8:31PMvideocam

Tai Po fire probe: URA’s Smart Tender system creates ‘false sense of security’

URA director says independent consultants it hires cannot intervene if contractors collude to recommend unnecessary renovation works.

30 Apr 2026 - 5:00PM

Hong Kong politics

Will top Hong Kong civil servants pay price for blunders under new system?

Former ministers, senior officials and observers point to practical challenges of attributing responsibility.

30 Apr 2026 - 3:24PM