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On 26 November 2025, a fire broke out at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong. The local authorities have reported at least 94 dead (including a firefighter), 76 injuries, and close to 300 people missing.[2]
Flames ignited externally on the green netting covering the bamboo scaffolding around Block F (Wang Cheong House) and quickly spread to adjacent blocks,[3][4] ultimately engulfing seven buildings in total. There were numerous reports of people trapped in the buildings.[5][6] The fire was classified as a five-alarm fire, the second such since the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, and the first since the 2008 Cornwall Court fire.[7][6] The fire is the sixth-deadliest in Hong Kong's history, and the deadliest since the Sai WanWing On warehouse fire in 1948 that killed 176 people.[8]
Background
Wang Fuk Court
Wang Fuk Court is a subsidised government home‑ownership housing complex located in Tai Po District, built in 1983. The estate has eight residential blocks 31 stories tall, with nearly 2,000 units, and is part of the public housing framework of the area; they are among the tallest buildings in Tai Po district.[6][9] According to the 2021 government census, there were 4,643 residents in the complex.[10] About 40% of the residents were senior citizens aged 65 and above.[10]
A 2016 inspection found that the estate required mandatory large-scale repairs.[11]
Map of Wang Fuk Court and environs. Wang Cheong House, where the fire started, is on the lower right corner. Wang Chi House, at the upper right corner, was the only one in the complex spared from the fire.First footage of the fire at Wang Cheong House, from a bike path
In January 2024, the owners' corporation[a] presented three repair plans, with costs ranging from HK$150 million(US$19.31 million) to HK$330 million(US$42.47 million). The first two plans, each estimated at HK$150 million, were either to repair only the damaged parts of the exterior walls with paper stone or to repair the damaged parts and apply waterproof paint.[14] The third plan, estimated at HK$330 million, was selected entailed completely rebuilding the exterior walls and paving the walls with tessera tiles.[15] The registered contractor was Prestige Construction and Engineering Company.[16]
At the time of the fire the exterior wall repairs were ongoing, with all eight buildings encased in bamboo scaffolding and green netting.[17] Furthermore, all of the windows had been sealed for more than a year.[18]
The use of bamboo as the material of choice for scaffolding is a holdover from early Chinese construction practices and remained so with Hong Kong's construction industry whilst mainland China had moved on to using metal scaffolding.[24][25] A 2003 paper published by Tsinghua University indicated that 90% of the scaffoldings in Hong Kong were bamboo-based.[26] The chairman of the Hong Kong Institution of Safety Practitioners, Lee Kwong-sing, stated that bamboo scaffolding and fire-retardant netting that meets government requirements are not easily ignited, and that the main cause of such fires is usually the presence of a large amount of debris, which can be easily ignited by sparks generated during construction.[27]
While the Labour Department[zh] has issued safety guidelines that state that the safety netting used with the bamboo scaffolding must meet certain flame-retardant requirements, the guidelines has no legal effects or ramifications when ignored.[28][29] As such, some sites may have opted to use ordinary netting without flame retardancy as a cost saving measure.[30][27]
On 17 March 2025, government authorities announced that they would begin to phase out the use of bamboo and replace it with metal scaffolding, stating that bamboo deteriorates over time, has contributed to 23 deaths in scaffolding-related accidents since 2018, and is combustible.[24][25] After the Chinachem Tower fire, the Buildings Department issued a statement urging enhanced flame-retardant standards for safety nets of exterior walls at construction sites.[31]
Other potential contributory factors
On the day when the fire occurred, Hong Kong was affected by the northeast monsoon season, and the weather was dry and the winds were strong.[32] The relative humidity recorded in the district area for that afternoon was 40% to 50%.[33] A Red Fire Danger Warning was issued by the Hong Kong Observatory on 24 November due to dry conditions; it remained in force on the day of the fire.[34][35]
According to news reports, residents had alleged as early as September 2024 that the construction workers had been smoking, littering cigarette butts throughout the construction site.[36][37] The Labour Department had made several inspections, but found that the safety nets were certified to meet flame retardant standards.[38]
Building materials such as thinners, foam and waste canvas were stored alongside the scaffolding; potential fire sources such as welding sparks and workers smoking were also present.[39] Practically speaking the safety netting envelopes the building such a chimney effect may form generating strong convection upwards, driving extensive and rapid fire growth.[23][40]
The fire began at the corner of the bamboo scaffolding at Wang Cheong House residential tower in the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex. The fire was first reported around 14:51 HKT (UTC+08:00); fire fighters arrived in ten minutes, but it had already escalated rapidly.[42] The emergency alert was raised from a 1 alarm to 4 by 15:34, and to the highest level, 5, by 18:22.[5] The fire began on the scaffolding before spreading inside and then to the other buildings.[43] Security Secretary Chris Tang commented that the rate at which the fire spread was "unusual" and that the blaze should not have spread through the buildings so rapidly if proper netting materials had been in place.[44]
The fire in four blocks was brought under control at 06:23 on 27 November, and search and rescue efforts began at the lower floors.[45]
As of 09:00 on 27 November, three of the seven buildings were still on fire.[46] There were 128 fire trucks, 57 ambulances and 767 firefighters deployed to the scene.[47] Over 1,000 residents were evacuated to the nearby Kwong Fuk Shopping Centre.[48]
A small wildfire also broke out across Tai Po River from the apartment complex, close to Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School at 22:13. It was quickly extinguished.[49]
Victims
At least 94 people were confirmed to have been killed while 76 others were injured, including 12 in critical condition.[50] Of the fatalities, 79 were declared dead on scene while four others died in hospital.[51][52] At least 20 bodies were recovered from the site by 05:00 on 27 November.[5] One of the fatalities was a firefighter who died while responding. He was identified as 37-year-old Ho Wai Ho, a 9-year veteran of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD)[10] based in Sha Tin Fire Station.[6] Reports indicate he arrived at the scene shortly after the fire was reported and lost contact with his colleagues around 30 minutes later; his body was discovered with burn injuries to his face.[53] Ten other firefighters were injured while responding to the incident.[54] Also among the casualties were Indonesian overseas workers: two were killed, two were injured and seven were reported missing.[55]
As at 20:20, 27 November, 56 people were rescued from the fire.[56] Nineteen overseas Filipino workers were rescued from the fire, including one who was hospitalised, while one was reported missing.[57]
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu reported that at least 279 people were missing.[6] Eleven firefighters were also injured.[58]
Emergency response
Emergency vehicles parked along Tai Po Road on the night of 26 November, with the fire in the background. From the image, it also indicated the nearest blocks in Kwong Fuk Estate also evacuated.
Wang Fuk Court on the next day, with firefighters spraying water and smoke rising from the apartment complex
Hong Kong government departments
Tai Po District Office arranged for the affected residents to be evacuated into temporary shelters nearby, including Kwong Fuk Community Hall, Tung Cheong Street Community Hall, Tai Po Community Centre, Fu Shan Community Hall, Shan Lou (Shan Dao Hui), and Chinese Christian Church's Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School.[59][60][5] The district office also had set up a help desk at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital to assist affected residents there with their questions and inquiries.[61][62]
The Hong Kong Police Force set up a registration table at Fung Leung Kit Memorial Secondary School for residents to register information about relatives with whom they had lost contact, and also established an injured inquiry hotline for citizens to search for relatives suspected to be injured or missing.[63] It also established a "restricted flight zone" over the area affected by the fire to prohibit drones from interfering with the rescue efforts. The restriction was set to last from 08:00 on 27 November until 08:00 on 30 November.[64]
The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee Ka-chiu, activated the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre, and chaired an emergency interdepartmental meeting.[65][66][67] The Education Bureau announced that 13 schools would suspend classes for a day on 27 November to ease potential traffic congestion in the area for the firefighting operation.[68] Other schools issued notices allowing flexibility of their students' attendance if affected by the fire.[69] The Education University of Hong Kong switched to virtual classes to ease traffic congestion in the area.[69] The Hong Kong Housing Authority announced that it coordinated the housing resources for residents affected by the fire, including over 2,000 temporary housing units and temporary shelters and beds; over 1,400 transitional housing units were also made available.[70]
Social welfare organisations
Social welfare organisations in Tai Po district opened their service points for immediate refuge. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church announced on their Facebook page that they would open the church for prayers and rest. The Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres, Hong Kong Children & Youth Services, The Hong Kong Chinese Church of Christ and the Alliance World Fellowship also opened their church and service centres.[71]The Salvation Army and Rhenish Missionary Society opened their service centres and provided mental support services.[72]
The non-profit Hong Kong Jockey Club opened several front-line shelters staffed with social workers.[42]
The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Yuen Chen Maun Chen Primary School opened for affected residents to rest, providing water and soda crackers.[63]
Investigation and arrests
In the early hours of 27 November, Hong Kong Police Force arrested three men aged between 52 and 68 years old on suspicion of manslaughter.[76] The three arrested individuals included two company directors and one consultant from a construction firm, with operations spanning Tai Po, Ngau Tau Kok, and San Po Kong.[77] The company, later confirmed to be Prestige Construction and Engineering Company, was searched by police who took several of boxes of documentation as evidence.[16]
Initial police investigation revealed multiple potential fire safety violations at the estate:
Styrofoam boards were installed covering windows on each floor near lift lobbies. Senior Police Superintendent Eileen Chung stated: "Everyone knows this material is inflammable... and could potentially accelerate the spread of fire, and it's suspected it may be one of the causes [of] the fire, and [why it] spread so quickly."[76][80]
The protective netting and waterprooftarpaulins on building exteriors allegedly did not meet fire-resistance standards.[76][80]
Chung stated that police had reason to believe the contractor responsible had been "grossly negligent", which resulted in the incident and allowed the fire to spread uncontrollably, leading to significant casualties.[81][80]
The Hong Kong Police Force and Hong Kong Fire Services Department established a special investigation team to determine the fire's cause.[77]
CSL Mobile provided free additional mobile data to customers affected by the fire, and lent out chargers as well as extending the operating hours of its Tai Po Mega Mall store to 23:00.[73]Regal Hotels International opened the Regal Riverside Hotel for victims, and instructed other properties it owned to allow the victims to stay if they had rooms to spare.[84]
McDonald's announced that it would provide free food to affected residents at three of the chain's 24-hour locations in the immediate aftermath of the blaze, and furthermore would send 1,000 breakfast meals to multiple evacuation centres for the morning of 27 November.[85]
Chris Tang, Secretary for Security of Hong Kong, expressed "deep grief" at the death of the firefighter, Ho Wai Ho, who died in the line of duty, offering his "deepest condolences" to his family.[86]
Xiaomi pledged a HK$10 million (US$ 1,285,000) donation through its foundation to provide medical assistance, emergency resettlement, and transitional living assistance for affected residents.[87]
In South Korea, SM Entertainment pledged HK$1 million (US$128,000) to the Hong Kong Red Cross to aid firefighting, rescue and relief efforts, while music groups Aespa and Riize pledged HK$500,000 and HK$250,000 respectively.[88] Likewise the MAMA Awards (Mnet Asian Music Awards) pledged donations;[89] it also made changes to the lavish awards ceremony long scheduled for the weekend, for example cancelling the red carpet.[90]
↑Tso, Lo-wan; Siu, Bok-hei (26 November 2025). "大埔宏福苑五級火 | 專家料天氣乾燥及大風助長火勢 需查圍網是否阻燃物料及警鐘故障"[Tai Po Hung Fuk Court Fire Level 5 | Experts predict dry weather and strong winds will fuel the fire; inspections needed to check if the fire fencing is made of flame-retardant materials and if alarms are malfunctioning]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
↑"香港廉政公署: 就宏福苑大维修工程可能涉及贪污展开调查". The Paper. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025. 据香港电台官网消息, 香港廉政公署表示, 由于事件涉及重大公众利益, 廉署成立项目小组, 就大埔宏福苑大维修工程可能涉及贪污展开全面调查.[According to RTHK, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) stated that, due to the significant public interest involved in the incident, the ICAC has established a task force to conduct a full investigation into the potential corruption involved in the major renovation works at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.]
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