Chris Tang Ping-keung, secretary for security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, speaks to members of the media after the deadly fires at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of HKSAR's New Territories on November 28, 2025. Photo: VCG

After two days of all-out rescue efforts to fight against the deadly five-alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court residential compound in Tai Po in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), firefighting and rescue operations were essentially completed, a local official said on Friday. Local authorities pledged to carry on a full investigation as a multi-departmental investigation task force has been established, which will soon begin its work, focusing on two main areas including the cause of the fire and the reasons for its rapid spread as well as the environmental factors that contributed to the large number of casualties.

During a press conference jointly held by the Hong Kong Security Bureau, Fire Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force on Friday afternoon on the updates about the devastating five-alarm fire that caused at least 128 deaths, 79 injuries and 200 missing individuals, Secretary for Security Chris Tang revealed that preliminary investigations show that the external scaffolding nets and protective nets on the buildings engulfed in the fire met fire-resistance requirements, but the foam panels attached to the exterior windows were highly flammable.

All seven residential blocks of Wang Fuk Court engulfed by the fire were undergoing renovation before the incident, which raised public concern over whether the external scaffolding used in repair works posed safety risks.

The fire first broke out on the lower-level scaffolding of Wang Cheong House, igniting the foam panels and causing the flames to spread upward rapidly, engulfing the six other buildings in Wang Fuk Court within a short period of time, Tang said during the press conference. 

Once the foam panels caught fire, the heat caused windows to shatter, allowing the blaze to spread into the flats and resulting in simultaneous fires both inside and outside the buildings, leading to this disaster, Tang said. 

In addition, the high temperatures caused the bamboo scaffolding and protective netting to catch fire, and the burning, broken bamboo poles fell from above, igniting other floors, Tang said, noting that the exact cause of the fire still requires further investigation.

The HKSAR government announced on Friday that it will hold official mourning activities to express profound condolences for the victims of the devastating fire.

The national flag and the HKSAR flag will be flown at half-mast at all government buildings and facilities across Hong Kong from Saturday to Monday. 

During this period, principal officials will cancel all non-essential public engagements, and government-organized or government-funded entertainment and celebratory events will be cancelled or postponed as appropriate.

Full-scale investigation 

A comprehensive investigation into the disaster should cover several aspects including the cause of the fire, and a criminal investigation will examine whether negligence or misconduct contributed to the incident, Willy Fu, a law professor who is also the director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Friday. 

Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched a parallel probe into any potential corruption linked to the building's repair and maintenance works.

The ICAC said on Friday that it arrested eight individuals on the day in multiple districts, including engineering consultants, scaffolding subcontractors, and a middleman as it has launched a full investigation into possible corruption involving the major maintenance works at Wang Fuk Court residential compound.

Local authorities should also review how scaffolding and external repair structures at the building were routinely inspected and whether official oversight was adequate, Fu said, noting that the investigation should also assess whether existing regulations, including those governing the use of materials such as foam panels, contain shortcomings that may have heightened fire risks.

Some Hong Kong media outlets reported that the housing estate had previously been embroiled in a HK$330 million renovation scandal. Residents of Wang Fuk Court even sought help from a TV program, accusing the owners' corporation of mishandling the major repair project, Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group reported on Wednesday. 

Local residents complained not only about the soaring costs but also questioned why the corporation had selected a contractor with a history of problems, according to the media report. 

The contractor involved in the current incident had been linked to multiple past lawsuits related to construction or scaffolding work, and had prior convictions resulting in fines, according to local media reports. 

In addition to the ICAC's arrest, the police have also conducted a criminal investigation by arresting three men aged from 52 to 68 from the company in charge of the maintenance work of Wang Fuk Court, including two directors of the engineering company and one engineering consultant, Tang said during the press conference.  

The HKSAR government attaches extreme importance to the fire incident and the police have prepared to conduct a comprehensive evidence-gathering investigation. Some buildings are expected to be safe enough for police to enter today after structural clearance, and the investigation is projected to take three to four weeks, Tang noted at the press conference on Friday.  

Disaster relief 

After HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee announced on Thursday that the local government will distribute HK$10,000 in emergency cash to each affected household, Hong Kong's Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said at a separate press conference on Friday that the family of each deceased victim will receive HK$200,000 in consolation payments. 

Starting next week, HK$50,000 in living allowances will be distributed to each household through a "one social worker per household" registration system, she said. 

Speaking about accommodation arrangements for the affected residents, Mak said around 720 people were already using temporary shelters. The Home Affairs Department will launch an online platform to allow the public to register donations, as additional items may be needed when arranging longer-term housing for residents.

After the fire broke out, police also urgently evacuated residents of Kwong Lai House in Kwong Fuk Estate—located across the street from Wang Fuk Court—to ensure their safety. 

Local district councilor Mui Siu Fung told the Global Times on Friday that by 1:30 pm Friday, both Kwong Lai House and Kwong Yau House had been reopened, and residents had returned to their homes. Supplies at the shelters are now sufficient, and affected residents from Wang Fuk Court have been accommodated in various temporary shelter centers.

The government-provided accommodation — including transitional housing, youth hostels and hotels — will all be free of charge, Mak told the press conference, noting that 1,800 transitional housing units will be available in two weeks for long-term stay, which is expected to meet the needs of all affected residents of Wang Fuk Court.