Hong Kong charges 7 suspects and 2 companies over fire that killed 168 people
Fire in a group of skyscrapers leaves almost 300 people missing in Hong Kong; death toll exceeds 40
Reproduction/TV Globo
Hong Kong authorities charged this Wednesday (10) seven people and two companies with crimes including manslaughter and conspiracy, related to the city's deadliest fire in decades, which occurred last November.
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The massive fire hit seven residential buildings and killed 168 people on November 26, 2025. Former residents and families of victims have been waiting for answers for months after fire devastated the close-knit community of Wang Fuk Court, which was home to thousands of people in the suburban Tai Po district.
In a statement, authorities said police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption had charged the suspects with 25 crimes. Charges include money laundering, attempted obstruction of justice and tax evasion.
The seven individuals played different roles in the Wang Fuk Court major renovation project. The two companies accused are the project's consultancy firm and the main contractor involved.
The cases were scheduled for a court hearing on Wednesday afternoon.
In March, police said they arrested 38 people on charges related to the complex, including manslaughter and fraud. Nine have already been formally charged. The anti-corruption agency said in the same month it also arrested 23 people on suspicion of crimes including bribery and conspiracy to defraud.
Lawyer Victor Dawes, who represents an independent committee conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire, previously said almost all fire safety systems failed on the day of the disaster due to human error.
Hong Kong wants to change rules for renovations after deadliest fire in decades
The fire
The complex, located in Tai Po district, has about two thousand apartments and houses around 4,600 residents, according to a census carried out by the government in 2021. Each of the eight towers has more than 30 floors.
The Fire Department said it received the call at 3:51 am Brasília time (2:51 pm local time) on November 26, 2025 about the fire. Hundreds of agents were mobilized.
Hours after fighting the flames began, the department raised the alert to level 5, the highest on the scale. Another thousand police officers were deployed, according to the government.
Authorities believe the fire spread quickly through green construction screens and bamboo scaffolding that were being used in renovation work.
Hong Kong has a history of serious fires. The last major impact occurred in 1996, when 41 people died after a fire caused by welding during internal renovations. The episode led to changes in construction and fire safety rules in high-rise buildings.
The use of bamboo scaffolding - traditional in Chinese architecture and still common in Hong Kong - is being reduced after 22 deaths involving workers between 2019 and 2024. At least three fires with this type of structure have been recorded this year, according to an association of victims of industrial accidents.
Source: G1