The Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong has claimed 128 lives as search teams completed apartment-by-apartment sweeps and recovery operations. Authorities arrested eight people connected to the renovation work and earlier detained three others on suspicion of manslaughter amid an anti-corruption inquiry. Investigators say bamboo scaffolding and potentially non-compliant external panels may have accelerated the spread, and inspections of other renovation sites have been ordered. Rescue teams expect to conclude searches before moving fully to recovery and investigation.
Hong Kong High-Rise Blaze Kills 128 as Authorities Make Multiple Arrests in Renovation Probe
The confirmed death toll from a massive fire that swept through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong, rose to 128 as recovery teams found more bodies inside the charred towers. Officials said searches were still under way and warned the toll could increase.
Rescue and recovery
Fire crews completed painstaking apartment-by-apartment searches after a fire that began on Wednesday afternoon spread rapidly across seven of the estate's eight towers. The blaze — fueled in part by scaffolding and combustible external materials used during renovation — was declared fully extinguished on Friday morning after nearly two days of intensive firefighting.
More than 1,000 firefighters responded to the five-alarm blaze. Crews prioritized units from which they had received more than two dozen emergency calls but had been unable to reach during the height of the fire. Authorities earlier reported they could not contact 279 residents and said roughly 900 people were housed in temporary shelters. At least 70 people were injured, including 11 firefighters.
Officials said teams were "working to force entry into all affected units" to ensure no victims remained inside and to complete the rescue phase.
Investigation and arrests
Investigators and anti-corruption authorities opened a probe into the renovation project and its management. On Friday, eight people aged between 40 and 63 were arrested in connection with the renovation work, including scaffolding subcontractors, directors of an engineering consultancy and project managers. Earlier arrests included three men detained on suspicion of manslaughter as police said company leaders were suspected of gross negligence.
Police have not publicly named the construction firm; investigators said they seized boxes of documents from the company's offices during searches. Preliminary inquiries indicate some external cladding and other materials may not have met fire-resistance standards, accelerating the spread. Authorities also reported that fire alarm systems in some blocks may not have been functioning properly.
Safety response and context
Inspectors have been ordered to review scaffolding, cladding and other renovation materials at multiple estates to ensure compliance with safety standards. The scale of this disaster — the deadliest residential fire in Hong Kong in recent decades — has prompted urgent scrutiny of renovation practices and building-safety enforcement.
Officials said the final search of the complex was expected to conclude later Friday, after which the rescue phase will be formally ended and recovery and investigation efforts will continue.
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