Hong Kong will establish an independent judge led committee to investigate the city’s deadliest fire in decades, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday, as authorities face mounting public pressure over how a blaze tore through a major housing complex and killed at least 156 people.
The probe will examine the cause of the fire at Wang Fuk Court and the rapid spread of the flames, as well as oversight of renovation works that officials have already linked to the scale of the disaster. Police have opened a parallel criminal inquiry and arrested 15 people on suspicion of manslaughter. Another 12 have been detained in a corruption investigation. It remains unclear whether any individuals were arrested in both cases.
Authorities have pointed to plastic mesh and insulation foam used during renovation works as key factors that accelerated the blaze. The materials were found to fall short of fire safety standards and were installed in locations difficult for inspectors to reach.
Tests on samples taken from the buildings on the day of the fire did not meet fire retardant requirements, officials confirmed at a press briefing on Monday. They also noted that window insulation used by contractors helped spread flames and that parts of the fire alarm system were not functioning correctly.
Residents had raised concerns as early as September 2024 about the flammability of the mesh covering bamboo scaffolding, according to the Labour Department. They were told their fire risks were relatively low at the time.
Investigators have completed searches in six of the eight towers within the Wang Fuk Court estate. Crews found victims in stairwells and on rooftops, people who had attempted to escape thick smoke but became trapped. Around thirty residents remain missing.
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The remaining two buildings, which suffered the heaviest damage, may take weeks to fully search. Police images showed officers in protective suits moving through blackened flats filled with ash, water and melted debris.
Nearly one thousand five hundred people who escaped the blaze have been moved into temporary accommodation, and more than nine hundred others have been placed in youth hostels and hotels. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported that more than sixty pets, including cats, dogs and turtles, died, while more than two hundred were rescued.
Some civic groups in the city have called for greater transparency in the handling of the disaster. A student who took part in such efforts was detained and later released on bail, while local media reported that two others were under investigation for possible sedition. Police have not commented on the cases.
Lee said he would not tolerate crimes that take advantage of the tragedy. He declined to discuss specific incidents. His comments followed warnings from China’s national security office urging people not to use the disaster to stir unrest reminiscent of the 2019 protests.
A funeral parlour in central Hong Kong held a memorial on Tuesday to mark the seventh day after the tragedy, a traditional soul return day. Hundreds attended, some praying, others weeping and placing lotus shaped paper offerings meant to symbolise spiritual renewal.