 "Smoke rises from apartments after a major fire swept through several blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district on November 27 (AFP)")
Hong Kong police have arrested three people on suspicion of manslaughter after a catastrophic fire tore through a high-rise housing complex, killing at least 128 residents and leaving scores unaccounted for.
The arrests—two directors of the renovation contractor and an engineering consultant—are the first major step in an expanding criminal investigation into one of the city’s deadliest fires in decades .
Police said the three suspects are believed to be linked to the renovation project underway at the Tai Po complex, where flammable materials may have accelerated the spread of the blaze. “We have reason to believe that the company responsible for the works was grossly negligent,” a senior police official told Reuters, adding that investigators were examining whether non–fire-resistant materials had been used on the building exterior.
The fire broke out on Tuesday morning at Wang Fuk Court, a cluster of 32-storey residential towers wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green safety netting for ongoing repairs. Within minutes, flames engulfed multiple blocks, sending plumes of black smoke across the district and forcing residents to flee down darkened stairwells.
More than 200 people are still reported missing, as per authorities. “We will make forcible entry to every unit in the affected towers to ensure no one is left behind,” said Derek Chan, deputy director of the Fire Services Department. “This is one of the most complex and dangerous operations we’ve undertaken in recent years.”
Families of the missing were seen waited anxiously outside makeshift relief centres, some clutching mobile phones displaying photos of loved ones. One woman, identifying herself as Wong, said she had not heard from her father since the fire broke out. “Maybe one of the photos is him… we’re still waiting,” she told Reuters.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the plastic foam boards and other flammable construction materials attached to the building façades may have acted as fuel. Fire experts said the combination of bamboo scaffolding and wind conditions likely created a “chimney effect,” pushing flames rapidly upward.
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View AllCity officials acknowledged mounting public anger as questions grew about oversight failures and lax safety checks. “We owe the public a complete explanation,” a government spokesperson said. “This tragedy should never have happened.”
As rescue teams near the final stages of their search, Hong Kong is bracing for a far-reaching inquiry, one that may reshape the city’s construction and building-safety regulations for years to come.