An independent, judge-led committee is nearing the conclusion of its investigation into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, which broke out at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po on November 26, 2025. The fire engulfed seven of the estate’s eight buildings, killing 168 people and displacing nearly 5,000 residents, marking the city’s worst inferno since 1948.

The committee, chaired by Justice David Lok Kai-hong, has conducted 27 sessions of evidential hearings and is currently hearing closing submissions from legal representatives. A final report is expected in about a month.

At the time of the fire, Wang Fuk Court was undergoing a HK$336 million facade renovation, with suspicions of bid-rigging due to the owners’ corporation selecting the most expensive option. Experts testified that the fire spread rapidly at a rate of 10 metres per second along the buildings, generating 11 fire plumes within two hours. Key factors identified in the blaze’s rapid spread included the use of non-fire-retardant materials such as scaffolding mesh and plastic sheeting, as well as the deactivation of fire safety systems.

Openings replacing fire-rated windows and covered with wooden boards to allow scaffolding access enabled heat, flames, and toxic smoke to enter stairwells, compromising escape routes. The widespread use of styrofoam boards to block unit windows during renovation also delayed residents’ detection and response to the fire.

Legal counsel for a director of fire service contractor China Status Development and Engineering argued that residents in the first building to catch fire would have had less than 10 minutes to escape even if fire alarms had been working, a claim that prompted the inquiry judge to question whether responsibility was being evaded.

Separately, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reported a 16.8 per cent decline in net profit to HK$2 billion (US$255.16 million) for the 2025-26 financial year. The Airport Authority attributed the profit drop to increased expenses from operating the third runway and last year’s aircraft salvage operation. Despite this, revenue grew 11 per cent year on year to HK$18 billion, with passenger throughput, aircraft movements, cargo, and airmail volumes all showing growth ranging from 2.7 to 14.7 per cent.

Chairman Fred Lam Tin-fuk stated, “With the three-runway system commissioned in November 2024, the progressive activation of the expanded Terminal 2, and key components of Skytopia advancing, HKIA is entering a new phase of development.”

Sources