Hong Kong authorities say netting on buildings that caught fire did not meet code
Initial tests had suggested the netting was up to standard, but investigators had not been able to check all of it earlier due to the fire.
People look at the burned buildings near the site of a deadly Wednesday fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories Dec 1, 2025. (Photo: AP/Chan Long Hei)
HONG KONG: Hong Kong officials said Monday (Dec 1) that the protective netting that covered scaffolding around buildings that caught on fire last week in a massive blaze did not meet codes for fire resistance, as a wave of public sympathy and support was met by government moves to stifle criticism.
Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, said samples of the netting were taken from multiple locations from the seven buildings that burned. Seven samples were found to be not up to standard. Initial tests had suggested the netting was up to standard, but investigators had not been able to check all of it earlier due to the blaze.
“Because the fire is now out, we have been able to get to places that were not easily accessible before to take samples,” Tang told reporters.
Police said on Monday that the death toll from the blaze had risen to 151, with more than 40 people still missing.
"As of 4pm today, the confirmed death toll stands at 151. We cannot rule out the possibility of this number rising further," police spokeswoman Tsang Shuk-yin told a news conference.
"Some of the bodies have turned into ash, therefore, we might not be able to locate all missing individuals," she said, choking up with emotion.
Donations for survivors of the fire had reached 900 million Hong Kong dollars (US$115 million) as of Monday, authorities said, as a steady stream of people placed flowers, cards and other tributes at a makeshift memorial near the burned-out block of buildings.
“When something happens, we come out to help each other, ” said Loretta Loh, after paying her regards at the site. “I have a heavy heart.”
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court complex in the suburb of Tai Po. It burned through seven of eight apartment towers, home to some 4,600 people.
Hong Kong police Disaster Victim Identification Unit staff went through four of the buildings over the weekend.
On Monday, Hong Kong authorities said teams were assessing the safety of the other buildings, including the one that caught fire first and suffered the worst damage.
The millions of donated funds, and 300 million Hong Kong dollars in start-up capital from the government, will be used to help victims rebuild their homes and provide long-term support, local officials said. The government has also given survivors cash subsidies to help with expenses, including funerals, and is working to find them housing.
By Monday, 683 residents had found places in local hotels and hostels, and another 1,144 moved into transitional housing units. Two emergency shelters remained open for others, authorities said.
The complex's buildings were all clad in bamboo scaffolding draped with nylon netting for external renovations. Windows were covered with polystyrene panels, and authorities are investigating if fire codes had been violated.
Residents had complained for almost a year about the netting that covered the scaffolding, Hong Kong's Labor Department said. It confirmed officials had carried out 16 inspections of the renovation project since July 2024 and had warned contractors multiple times in writing that they had to meet fire safety requirements. The latest inspection was just a week before the fire.
Thirteen people, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company. A growing number of people have been questioning whether government officials should also be held responsible.
"People are angry and think that the HK (Hong Kong) government should be accountable,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a locally-based political scientist and senior research fellow at the Paris-based Asia Centre think tank.
On Saturday, the Office for Safeguarding National Security hit out with a statement about what it called “evil schemes” that had ”the ulterior motives of using the disaster to create trouble and disrupt Hong Kong”. It did not give specifics.
On Saturday, a man who helped organise an online petition calling for government accountability was arrested on suspicion of sedition, local media, including HK01 and Sing Tao Daily, reported. Two others were arrested on Sunday, including a volunteer who offered help in Tai Po after the fire broke out, the same outlets reported.
Hong Kong police would not comment specifically on the arrests, telling The Associated Press only that “police will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law”.
