Wang Fuk Court fire enquiry

Official Enquiry says multiple failures, including non-FR scaffold netting, lead to the avoidable death of 168 victims (see pinfa Newsletter n°178). The Wang Fuk fire, Hong Kong, November 2025, destroyed seven blocks of flats, killing 168 people and leaving thousands homeless. The official Enquiry has heard that 91 of the 168 victims died from smoke inhalation, including in flats which were not touched by the fire. The flats were under renovation, and covered in bamboo scaffolding within plastic construction site netting (to prevent falling objects, etc.). The Enquiry heard that the fire probably started in debris on the rooftop, caused by a discarded cigarette from a smoking renovation worker. Tests and evidence presented to the Enquiry concluded that the non-FR netting released 27 times more energy than FR netting, spread the fire with flaming droplets and that the fire would probably have self-extinguished if FR netting had been used. The fire became catastrophic because fire alarms were disarmed, windows were boarded up with flammable foam and smoke penetrated into stairwells hindering escape. Authorities have engaged legal proceedings against companies and individuals involved in the renovation project.

Wang Fuk fire Enquiry public website https://www.ic-wangfukcourtfire.gov.hk/eng/index.html

“Wang Fuk Court tragedy ‘completelyavoidable’, inquiry counsel says”,  Hong Kong Standard, 22 June 2026 https://www.thestandard.com.hk/news/article/335260/Wang-Fuk-Court-tragedy-completely-avoidable-inquiry-counsel-says

“First charges laid over deadly Hong Kong fire“, BBC News, 10 June 2026 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04yldyezyeo