HONG KONG: Police arrested the directors and an engineering consultant of Prestige Construction on Thursday on suspicion of manslaughter following Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in nearly 80 years. The blaze tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, killing at least 83 people, with around 300 still missing.
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Firefighters battled thick smoke and intense heat for over a day, trying to reach residents trapped on upper floors of the 2,000-unit complex, which was undergoing renovations and wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh. Video footage showed crews searching through charred remains with flashlights.
Authorities said the arrests followed concerns that unsafe materials and gross negligence by the construction firm allowed the fire to spread uncontrollably. Police seized company documents, computers, and mobile phones as part of the investigation. Superintendent Eileen Chung stated that the negligence of the company’s responsible parties had contributed directly to the disaster.
Hong Kong police arrested the bosses of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter over the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years, which killed at least 83 people with scores more listed as missing https://t.co/nxIETRBwID pic.twitter.com/I2KUKg7seb
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 27, 2025
Residents described desperate scenes, with many forced to sleep outside in makeshift shelters, including shopping malls, while official evacuation centers housed the most vulnerable. Families searched frantically for missing loved ones, with one woman seen carrying her daughter’s graduation photo while pleading for news.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced a HK$300 million ($39 million) relief fund for affected residents. Major companies including Xiaomi, Xpeng, Geely, and foundations linked to Jack Ma and Tencent pledged donations to support victims.
Hong Kong police arrested the bosses of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter on Thursday over the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years, which killed at least 83 people with about 300 still listed as missing.
Firefighters had mostly doused the blaze that tore… pic.twitter.com/Y4651Wl5Nz
— GMA Integrated News (@gmanews) November 27, 2025
China’s President Xi Jinping called for “all-out efforts” to extinguish the fire and minimize losses, highlighting the political sensitivity of the incident in the semi-autonomous city. Comparisons have been drawn to London’s Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people and exposed failings in fire safety regulations and construction practices.
Read More: Hong Kong high-rise fire kills at least 44
Investigators also noted unsafe scaffolding and foam sealing materials in ongoing maintenance work, prompting discussions to gradually replace bamboo scaffolding with metal to improve safety across Hong Kong.