Hong Kong Orders Removal of Scaffolding Mesh After Deadly Wang Fuk Court Fire
December 3, 2025
Hong Kong authorities have ordered all scaffolding mesh on buildings under renovation to be removed by this Saturday. This follows the deadly fire last Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, which killed 159 people and left 31 missing.
Investigators discovered the protective netting around the complex did not meet flame retardant standards. Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, Secretary for Development, said new safety testing rules for scaffolding materials will be announced next week.
About 300 buildings, including 200 private and 10 public ones, are under renovation and will be affected by this removal order. "I assure the public that we will chase to the end the accountability of any contractors using substandard scaffolding mesh," Linn said. Samples of the mesh have already been collected for testing.
The fire spread fast due to flammable scaffolding netting and other materials around the buildings. Police have arrested at least 15 people on manslaughter charges as the probe continues.
Police finished searching inside all seven towers of the complex but will now search other areas like bamboo scaffolding remains. Police Commissioner Joe Chow said, "We have not finished our work. As you can see... a lot of bamboo has fallen down. We still need to do some work... to see if any bodies were covered by the bamboo."
So far, 140 of the 159 recovered bodies have been identified. They include 49 males and 91 females, aged between one and 97 years old.
A couple in their 70s, who lost their home, returned with their daughter to see the burnt site. The mother, Leung, said, "It all happened within just an hour or two. I stood there watching as one block after another went up in flames, my legs felt so weak I could hardly stand. It was terrifying."
Leung described the bamboo scaffolding cracking and loud bangs like exploding windows while the flames raged uncontrollably. Her daughter Bonnie added, "We also hope the truth will come out - whether there were hidden hands behind this, corruption or any improper dealings."
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Tags:
Hong kong
Fire
Scaffolding Mesh
Wang Fuk Court
Investigation
Manslaughter
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