Hong Kong mourns victims of deadliest fire in decades

Hong Kong declared three days of mourning on Saturday for victims of the city’s deadliest fire in nearly eight decades.

Chief Executive John Lee led a ceremony at the government headquarters, where officials held three minutes of silence for victims of the blaze that has so far claimed 128 lives and injured 83 people.

The city’s anti-graft agency has so far arrested 11 people in connection with the fire in a building in Wang Fuk Court, in the New Territories town of Tai Po. An inter-departmental fire investigation task force was set up to probe the blaze, focusing on its cause, spread, and factors behind heavy casualties, the Fire Services Department said on Saturday.

Officials can’t rule out finding more bodies, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said at a Friday briefing. He said construction materials erected for renovation work at the estate contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

Condolence points were set up in all of the city’s 18 districts for the public to sign books and pay respects to the victims, their families and others affected by the blaze that has stoked sorrow and public anger.

Amid the outpouring of grief, the Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong on Saturday issued a statement warning that it would take action against anyone who attempts to use the fire to stoke unrest or endanger national security. It criticized what it said was the spreading of false information and attacks on rescue efforts, while also praising the territory’s government for its disaster relief work.

The blaze began Wednesday on the lower floors of the building, where netting wrapped around bamboo scaffolding caught fire and ignited highly flammable foam boards installed around windows. The intense heat set scaffolding alight, causing burning bamboo pieces to fall and ignite additional floors across the eight-tower complex in northern Hong Kong.

Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said problems had been found with the alarms in the buildings, which produced no sound. The Buildings Department inspected 127 buildings and identified foam boards covering windows at two, the government said on Friday. It has directed their immediate removal.

The blaze is the deadliest in Hong Kong since a warehouse fire in 1948 that killed 176 people.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption said Friday it had arrested two directors and two project managers of the engineering consultancy responsible for the estate’s renovation, three scaffolding subcontractors and a middleman.

Two directors and a consultant from the contractor responsible for the renovation were arrested earlier on suspicion of manslaughter.

Inspections had flagged risks well before the disaster. Regulators conducted 16 checks on the HK$315.5 million ($40.6 million) renovation project and issued repeated written warnings urging the contractor to put proper fire-prevention measures in place — including as recently as last week, according to the Labour Department.

“It’s premature to pass judgment on any officials or even on any companies involved, but I think government should take a good look at our existing legislation,” Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip said in a Bloomberg TV interview Friday.

That includes identifying any gaps in requirements for fire-retardant materials, whether for major works or small-scale renovations, and stepping up enforcement, she said.

Lee visited the disaster site on Thursday. He earlier ordered a city-wide inspection of all housing estates undergoing major renovations. At a snap briefing, he said each affected family would receive HK$10,000 ($1,285) in relief. Flanked by several officials, he also pledged to completely phase out bamboo scaffolding in favor of metal alternatives.

The government announced on Friday that each affected household would receive an additional HK$50,000 ($6,423) in living allowance. On Saturday, it said the Hong Kong Housing Authority has relaxed mortgage terms to let banks offer special arrangements — including deferred repayments — to help Wang Fuk Court owners ease their financial burden.

The unprecedented high-rise blaze comes at a delicate moment for Hong Kong. The global finance hub has been working to rebuild its international image after mass protests, a national security crackdown and strict COVID controls drew criticism from some Western governments. Officials are days away from legislative elections — and Lee would be weighing whether to postpone them.

Across the city, several events have been canceled. Oxfam Hong Kong called off its popular Trailwalker fundraising race, while Disneyland scrapped a special screening and premiere of "Zootopia 2." Other cancellations include the Standard Chartered Arts in the Park festival and a 10-kilometer race organized by Hong Kong Marathon Pro and the Pegasus Athletics Club.

While the broader economic impact should be limited, the tragedy points to deeper political problems, according to Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis.

“A series of mistakes by various stakeholders ultimately led to the tragedy,” Ng said, adding that with so many aging buildings across Hong Kong, these issues must be addressed to prevent further economic, social and human losses.

Renovation work at Wang Fuk Court were carried out by Prestige Construction & Engineering Co. Bloomberg News visited Prestige’s office on Thursday, but the shutters were down and no one responded despite repeated knocking. Phone calls to the office went unanswered.

The city’s Buildings Department ordered the suspension of 28 building projects by Prestige, citing a lack of confidence in the company’s ability to ensure site safety. Two other projects were also temporarily suspended because of the use of plastic sheets, and the contractors have been ordered to remove the panels, according to a statement late Saturday.

Residents displaced by the fire will be sheltered in temporary accommodation. About 1,800 units of transitional housing will be made available — roughly equivalent to the estate’s entire housing stock.

Volunteers have rushed to the site and corporate donations have poured in, including from the Jockey Club, which pledged up to HK$170 million ($21.84 million) to support those affected.

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(With assistance from Alfred Liu.)