A massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex in Hong Kong on November 26 has triggered a nationwide government review of the safety of scaffolding, building materials and life-safety systems at thousands of occupied residential towers.
As of November 28, after rescue operations ended, officials said 128 people, including one firefighter, had been confirmed dead, while 79 others were injured.
The fire broke out around 2:51 p.m. local time at the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po district, where the eight 31- to 32-story towers, completed in 1983, were surrounded by bamboo scaffolding and green netting for a major renovation of the exterior facades.
The Hong Kong Fire Department said fire crews arrived within five minutes, but flames had already engulfed the scaffolding of one block and were spreading through floors and facades to other towers.
Authorities lifted the 5-alarm response, the city’s highest level, at 6:22 p.m., deploying more than 200 fire engines, about 100 ambulances and approximately 1,200 firefighters and EMS personnel.
Police said about 200 residents remained missing as investigators continued recovery operations inside the buildings, warning that the toll could rise as additional floors become accessible.
Oversight of renewal under scrutiny
As recovery work progresses, officials have turned to the estate’s renovation history.
Wang Fuk Court, originally built in the 1980s, is part of Hong Kong’s home ownership scheme, meaning individual unit owners manage building maintenance through an owners’ corporation rather than the Housing Authority.
This agreement means that the owner is responsible for the supervision of renovations, acquisitions and contractors, subject to regulation by the Department of Buildings. Prestige Construction & Engineering Co. Ltd. had been contracted to carry out renovation works at the site under investigation.
A MORE APPROPRIATE LOOK
What we know about the scaffolding system in Wang Fuk’s court
Traditional bamboo scaffolding wrapped in protective mesh surrounds a skyscraper undergoing facelift in Hong Kong. Investigators say similar scaffolding assemblies at Wang Fuk’s courthouse are critical to understanding how flames scaled the exterior during the city’s deadliest residential fire in decades.
Preliminary evidence shows the fire started in bamboo scaffolding and protective netting outside one of the blocks before spreading outside and into the apartments.
At press conferences, Hong Kong’s security secretary Chris Tang said the estate’s fire alarms “had not worked properly” and investigators were examining whether scaffolding nets, tarpaulins and window sealing materials met required fireproof standards.
Police said polyurethane foam used around the elevator lobby windows is among the materials now undergoing lab testing.
The Hong Kong Building Department and the Independent Verification Unit of the Hong Kong Housing Bureau have ordered all registered professionals and contractors to verify the fireproofing documentation of scaffolding nets and similar temporary materials in active renovation projects within seven days.
The two agencies said they will follow up the statements with targeted on-site audits and independent testing to confirm compliance.
The Hong Kong Labor Department (HKLD) also launched a two-week enforcement campaign focusing on unannounced scaffold performance inspections, hot work checks and general site cleaning at building construction and maintenance sites.
“If any violations of the legislation are found during the inspection exercise, LD labor safety officers will take strict enforcement measures, including issuing suspension notices and improvement notices,” an HKLD spokesperson said on November 27.
The department said it will initiate prosecutions if inspectors identify significant fire hazards, noting that increased enforcement is directly linked to the Tai Po fire and the heightened risks of the dry season.
In a separate meeting with industry groups, the Hong Kong Development Office said it is reassessing the territory’s widespread reliance on bamboo scaffolding and may accelerate its continued shift to metal systems.
The bureau said it also plans to tighten requirements for netting and temporary protective covers used in high-rise renovations. Officials added that Prestige Construction & Engineering is working on 11 other private housing projects, which have now been inspected by the Department of Buildings.
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At the same time, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) formed a dedicated task force to investigate “suspected corruption” in the renovation of the Wang Fuk Court.
ICAC said it arrested eight people — including consultants, scaffolding subcontractors and a middleman — after seizing documents and bank records from 13 locations.
Earlier in the week, police arrested two Prestige directors and an engineering consultant on suspicion of manslaughter related to the alleged use of unsafe materials.
Authorities have yet to issue a final ignition conclusion or a full engineering analysis, but Hong Kong building safety experts say the scale of the disaster will likely lead to significant changes in the way aging residential towers are renovated and monitored.
The immediate regulatory actions, combined with ongoing criminal and corruption investigations, suggest a broader account of scaffolding practices, material certification procedures and oversight of high-rise repair work performed in aging, densely populated housing developments.
Hong Kong officials said they would issue further updates as the Department of Buildings, Fire Department and police complete forensic reviews in the coming weeks.
