Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades followed a year of safety complaints

Hong Kong: Residents of the housing complex that was engulfed in Hong Kong's deadliest blaze in seven decades were told by authorities last year that they faced "relatively low fire risks" after complaining repeatedly about fire hazards posed by ongoing renovation works, the city's Labour Department told Reuters.

People living at Wang Fuk Court in northern Hong Kong had raised concerns over maintenance activity in September 2024, including about the potential flammability of the protective green mesh contractors had used to cover the bamboo scaffolding raised around the buildings, a department spokesperson said in an email.

The department subsequently reviewed safety certification for the mesh, which was used as a net for falling debris, and told residents the material's "flame-retardant performance" met standards, said the agency, which helps enforce construction standards set by the Building Department.

Hong Kong police said on Thursday, however, that the exterior walls of the complex's buildings "had protective nets, membranes, waterproof tarpaulins, and plastic sheets suspected of not meeting fire safety standards."

Three people associated with renovation contractor Prestige Construction have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The exact cause of Wednesday's inferno, which has claimed at least 128 lives, has not been determined. What is clear, however, is that the fire spread rapidly through the exterior scaffolding system, said Jiang Liming, a fire-safety expert at Hong Kong Polytechnic University who reviewed video footage of the blaze.

Prestige, which secured a HK$330 million ($42.4 million) renovation contract for the complex in January 2024, did not respond to repeated calls. The three arrested people, who authorities have not named, could not be reached. Metal shutters were pulled down over the entrance of Prestige's office when a reporter visited on Friday morning.

Asked about the Labour Department's review of the mesh's safety certification, Hong Kong police referred to a Thursday statement in which it said it would "gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire" once the blaze was fully extinguished.

The Labour Department told Reuters that when it told residents they faced low fire risks as long as processes like welding were avoided, that did not mean that potential hazards were ignored. It also said it had reminded the contractor to implement fire-prevention measures.

The agency added that it had carried out 16 safety inspections at Wang Fuk Court between July 2024 and November 2025. The department issued six improvement notices to the contractor over its work at the complex and initiated three prosecutions, it said, without providing further specifics.

Reuters could not determine the outcome of those proceedings or the firm's response.

Hong Kong's Grenfell?

Wednesday's blaze spread at shocking speed.

Firefighters were first alerted to fire at one of Wang Fuk Court's towers at 2:51 p.m. Within the five minutes it took them to reach the site, the blaze had scattered across the scaffolding, entered the interior of the building and spread to other towers in the complex, according to a fire department statement.

In about four hours, seven of the complex's eight 32-story towers were engulfed in flames. Thick smoke made it hard for first responders to reach higher floors.

Hundreds of the 4,600 people living in the complex were placed in temporary shelter. About 200 were missing as of Friday.

Jiang, an assistant professor at Polytechnic University's department of building environment and energy engineering, compared the blaze to London's 2017 Grenfell public-housing fire, in which 72 people died.

A subsequent investigation revealed failings by the British government, the construction industry and firms involved in fitting the building's exterior with flammable cladding.

"It's a very similar kind of fire travelling mechanism: from the facade, the fire then entered the rooms" of apartments, he said.

Hong Kong leader John Lee has said the government will review the use of bamboo scaffolding. The Building and Labour departments separately said Thursday that they would be conducting emergency checks on buildings undergoing renovations to ensure that scaffolding and nets meet fire-safety standards.

Police on Wednesday also said they had discovered foam at the complex that might have been responsible for the fast expansion of the fire.

Facebook user Peter Leung had posted photos of burning white material on the “Wang Fuk Court Resident Exchange” group in September 2024, alongside the caption: "the window insulation is flammable."

Leung did not respond when contacted by Reuters via Facebook.

Foam "burns quickly and produces thick, toxic smoke," Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, told Reuters.

The material can help prevent dust and glass damage to windows during construction, he said, but "did the management team and site supervisors consider this risk?"

Resident Tommy Au Wai-chi said foam installed near their windows prevented his parents from noticing the giant flames and heavy smoke outside their home.

"They didn’t realise there was a fire until I called them,” said the 58-year-old truck driver. His parents were rescued and are in a stable condition in hospital.

Chris Wong, who on Thursday was still waiting for news of her 72-year-old-mother, who she believes remains trapped, expressed anger at how her apartment's windows were blocked with foam.

“The government has laws, but do they enforce on the quality of materials and safety? I have my doubts.”

Additional fire-safety concerns

A Reuters review of the minutes of meetings held over the past year between homeowners with building management revealed additional fire-safety concerns.

Management told the homeowners' committee in October 2025 that among the items needing repair or maintenance in the complex were fire water inlets, hose components such as fire nozzles, fire alarm bells, fire extinguishers and fire hose reels, as well as lighting fixtures with batteries.

In July 2025, the committee was also told that "some hoses inside the fire tanks showed signs of aging and corrosion during waterproofing work." Meeting participants recommended replacing the hoses.

And in November 2024, the committee expressed concern that the number of solar panels on the towers' rooftops "might violate fire safety regulations." It suggested consulting the fire department.

Reuters could not determine if action had been taken to address those concerns. The management of Wang Fuk Court did not respond to calls and an email.

Residents have also complained about contractors smoking around the scaffolding.

Jacky Cheung, who described himself as a former resident in the complex, sent Reuters a video he said he had taken that depicted a construction worker smoking next to the scaffolding. The news agency was able to verify that the video was shot at Wang Fuk Court, but not the exact date it was taken.

Cheung said he had complained about smoking incidents and sent management the video in February, but that they did nothing in response.