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Hong Kong Complex Blaze Kills 128 as Firefighting Ends at Wang Fuk Court

With the blaze out, authorities pivot to recovery and open criminal and anti-corruption probes into suspected safety failures in the renovation.

Overview

  • Officials report 128 dead and 79 injured, with 89 victims still unidentified and dozens of residents unaccounted for.
  • Fire Services ended suppression operations after more than 40 hours, shifting to apartment-by-apartment searches and recovery work.
  • Preliminary findings indicate bamboo scaffolding, plastic safety nets and foam window panels fueled rapid vertical spread, compounded by wind and very low humidity.
  • Police arrested three men on suspicion of gross negligence, the ICAC launched an inquiry, and eight additional suspects were detained in a related corruption probe.
  • The government ordered inspections of major renovation sites and signaled a move toward metal scaffolding as formal investigations proceed over the coming weeks.