Deadly Five-Alarm Blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court Kills at Least 44, with 279 Still Missing, Sparks Manslaughter Arrests

A devastating five-alarm fire that tore through Wang Fuk Court (宏福苑) in Tai Po on Wednesday has claimed at least 44 lives and injured dozens more, including one firefighter who died in the line of duty. The blaze, one of the deadliest in Hong Kong’s recent history, has left 279 people unaccounted for amid ongoing search and rescue efforts, prompting the arrest of three men on suspicion of manslaughter and raising serious questions about the use of highly flammable materials during ongoing renovation works.

Police confirmed on Thursday morning that three local men – two directors and one engineering consultant of a construction company, aged between 52 and 68 – were arrested in the early hours in Tai Po, Ngau Tau Kok and San Po Kong. The men are being held on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with alleged “gross negligence” that allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

Speaking at a 5:45 a.m. press conference, Senior Superintendent Chung Lai-yee of New Territories North Regional Crime Unit said investigators found that protective netting, waterproof tarpaulins, plastic sheeting and polystyrene foam boards (commonly known as foam boards) used on the building’s exterior during renovation works were highly combustible and failed to meet fire-safety standards.

“These materials burned far more violently and spread much faster than compliant materials,” Chung said. She added that identical polystyrene foam boards were found sealing elevator lobby windows in an unaffected block of the same estate – a practice described as “highly unusual” and likely a key factor in the fire’s ferocious spread.

Security Secretary Chris Tang Ping-keung earlier described the intensity of the blaze as “abnormal,” noting that the external protective materials and foam boards ignited and propagated the flames at an alarming speed. Fire Services Director Andy Yeung Yan-kin echoed the concern, confirming that ventilation windows in the unaffected building had been completely sealed with the highly flammable polystyrene boards.

The contractor responsible for the external wall works, Hung Yip Construction Engineering Ltd (宏業建築工程有限公司), had posted a notice on the estate’s owners’ corporation website in October 2024 explaining that foam boards were being used to fully cover windows “to prevent broken glass from being hit by debris during construction.” The notice stated the boards would be removed after window-frame chipping work was completed.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu vowed a thorough investigation, stating that police and fire services have formed a dedicated task force. “The investigation will be comprehensive, evidence-based and supported by extensive laboratory testing,” Lee said. “We will leave no stone unturned and the case will definitely be referred to a coroner’s inquest.”

President Xi Jinping has instructed the Central Government’s Liaison Office and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office to convey condolences and to provide full support to the Hong Kong government in rescue, treatment and follow-up efforts.

Emergency Accommodation and Support

The Housing Authority has mobilised more than 3,400 temporary housing units and beds across Hong Kong for displaced residents. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said over 2,000 units are available at Po Tin Temporary Housing Area and nearby shelters, with an additional 1,400 transitional housing units identified territory-wide. More than 40 affected residents have already moved into temporary accommodation.

Anyone with information about the fire is urged to contact the New Territories North Regional Crime Unit 24-hour hotline at 5566 0087.

Police have warned that further arrests are possible as the investigation extends to main contractors, sub-contractors and individual workers. Forensic teams, assisted by government chemists and pathologists, are working around the clock to identify victims and determine the exact cause of the blaze.