Hung Fuk Estate fire safety row
After a Level 5 fire at Hong Kong’s Hung Fuk Estate, owners criticized contractors for denying requests to fit fire‑retardant window materials, citing concerns about foam glue rather than legal prohibition. (x.com) The social discussion has focused on contractor decisions and building safety standards. (x.com)
At a Hong Kong fire inquiry, owners from Wang Fuk Court said contractors refused requests to use fire-resistant window coverings before the estate’s deadly blaze. (hongkongfp.com) Former owners’ corporation chair Wong Chun-man told the committee on April 17 that residents had asked for fire-retardant material, but the contractor said foam boards were easier to glue to window frames. Wong said the firm also told owners there was no legal requirement to use fire-resistant boards. (hongkongfp.com) The dispute surfaced in hearings into the November 26, 2025 fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a five-alarm blaze that killed 168 people, injured 79 and displaced nearly 5,000 residents after flames tore through seven of eight towers for about 43 hours. (hongkongfp.com) The inquiry is examining more than one decision. Its terms include the cause of the fire, the condition of fire-service equipment, whether renovation safety rules and approved-material lists were adequate, and whether collusion or tender irregularities played any role. (info.gov.hk) Residents had been complaining before the fire. At an earlier hearing, witnesses said they reported flammable foam boards on windows to the Fire Services Department, but were told the issue did not fall under that department’s remit. (hongkongfp.com) The renovation project itself was large. Inquiry evidence showed authorities did not carry out a dedicated fire-risk assessment for the HK$336 million estate overhaul before the blaze, even though the works had been under way since July 2024 and the department had made 26 visits triggered mostly by complaints or shutdown notices. (scmp.com) Government lawyers have pushed back on broader allegations of collusion. In March, counsel for the Hong Kong government called suggestions that surveyors and the contractor conspired to hide flammable materials “groundless” and said the inquiry should not jump ahead of the evidence. (scmp.com) The committee, chaired by retired judge David Lok, was set up in December 2025 after Chief Executive John Lee ordered a review of the disaster and the systems around it. It is expected to deliver recommendations on regulation, oversight and penalties after completing its work. (info.gov.hk)
