Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu meets with the press at the HKSAR Government Headquarters on December 2, 2025. The large screen at the venue was set to black to mourn those who lost their lives in the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: cnsphoto

To prevent similar tragedies, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will establish an independent commission chaired by a judge to conduct a detailed investigation into the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The commission will submit its recommendations and report to the HKSAR Chief Executive, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said during a press conference on Tuesday. 

Lee met the media before attending the Executive Council meeting. The backdrop in the press room at the HKSAR Headquarters was changed to black, and Lee wore a black tie when speaking to reporters.

Lee pledged that the independent commission's investigation report would be made fully public.

Lee stressed that he "demands a thorough investigation and serious reforms, turning grief and anger into the driving force for change. No matter who is involved, accountability will be pursued to the very end," local media reports said.  

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

According to police, on-site forensic work has found that scaffolding net samples taken from seven locations at affected buildings did not meet flammability-resistant standards.

In an interview with the Global Times on Tuesday, Lau Siu-kai, a consultant from the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies who is also a senior policy advisor, said the tragedy requires more than a simple review of the government's regulatory procedures, as private-sector entities are also involved. 

Speaking with the press on Tuesday, Tsang Shuk-yin, the officer in charge of the casualty enquiry unit of the Hong Kong Police Force, said the death toll has risen to 156. A total of 127 bodies have been identified, while 29 remain unidentified, and around 30 people are still unaccounted for. 

As of December 1, police have arrested 15 people - 14 men and one woman - aged between 40 and 77, on suspicion of manslaughter. Those arrested include personnel from the main contractor responsible for the maintenance works, an engineering consultancy firm, as well as subcontractors involved in scaffolding and external wall repairs. 

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, traveled to Shenzhen on Monday to coordinate efforts by the Ministry of Emergency Management and other relevant central authorities to continue providing assistance and support for the rescue and relief operations following the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong's Tai Po, according to a statement from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Tuesday. 

Following the delivery of the first batch of emergency supplies, and in response to the HKSAR government's continued needs, the Ministry of Emergency Management has coordinated with the National Fire and Rescue Administration and relevant public welfare foundations to urgently dispatch a second batch of equipment as of December 2, according to the office. 

Items including portable outdoor power stations, blowers, breathing apparatus, goggles, protective suits, headlamps, waterproof boots, and organic vapor filter cartridges have already arrived in Hong Kong and were swiftly handed over to frontline search and rescue teams for immediate use.