appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Eric Jiang

Hong Kong’s Buildings Department has filed 259 charges against two companies and four individuals over repair works at the inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court, after investigations found non-fire-retardant materials were used and safety obligations were not met.
The department said on Wednesday that the charges included allegedly permitting or authorising to be used in the carrying out of building works materials which are defective or did not comply with the provisions of the Buildings Ordinance, as well as failing to properly supervise repair works, among other offences.
The two companies charged are the project’s consulting firm, Will Power Architects, and main contractor, Prestige Construction & Engineering.
The four individuals are Will Power director Wong Hap-yin and registered inspector Ng Yeuk, together with Prestige directors Ho Kin-yip and Hau Wa-kin.
In June, both firms, the four individuals and three others were charged by police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption with offences including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion.
The Labour Department also laid 25 charges on Wednesday against related parties – the contractor, the project consultant and an individual – under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, in connection with the deaths of five contractors’ staff during the fire.
A Buildings Department spokesman said the department and the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit “spared no effort in conducting investigations into the major repair works at the estate” following the Wang Fuk Court blaze.
The investigation found that the registered inspector employed by the consulting firm did not properly supervise the prescribed repairs and failed to ensure the buildings were safe, he added.
The two companies were also suspected of having permitted or authorised the use of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting, canvases and foam boards to cover windows during the work, and of removing fireproof windows on emergency staircases to create easy access to the scaffolding, which were then sealed with non-fire-retardant materials.
These actions caused the fire to spread rapidly and obstructed residents’ escape, which ultimately resulted in 168 deaths and 79 injuries, the spokesman said.
The department reiterated that contractors and building professionals must properly supervise inspections and construction work in accordance with the ordinance, subsidiary regulations, and relevant codes of practice to ensure that the materials used are appropriate and that the work is carried out safely for the project.
Under the Buildings Ordinance, any person directly concerned with minor works who permits or authorises to be incorporated in or used in the carrying out of works any materials which are defective or do not comply with the provisions of the ordinance commits an offence.
A person who carries out, authorises or permits minor works to be carried out in such a manner that causes injury to any person or damage to any property faces a maximum penalty of HK$500,000 (US$63,765) and 18 months’ imprisonment.
A registered inspector who fails to supervise the carrying out of the prescribed repair that is minor works properly is liable to a fine of up to HK$150,000, while a registered inspector or registered general contractor who fails to ensure a building, for which they are appointed to supervise or carry out the prescribed repair that is minor works, is safe or has been made safe faces a maximum fine of HK$500,000 and 18 months’ imprisonment.
The fire, which broke out in November, was one of the deadliest in the city’s history, tearing through seven of the eight blocks of the Tai Po estate, killing 168 people, including a firefighter, and injuring 79 others. Nearly 5,000 residents were left homeless.
The estate’s high-rise towers were wrapped in scaffolding for renovation when a piece of safety netting covering the lower floors of Wang Cheong House, one of the eight blocks, caught fire.
Concerns over possible bid-rigging also emerged after the estate’s renovation budget more than doubled from a preliminary estimate of HK$152 million in September 2023 to HK$336 million in 2024, when the most expensive option was adopted.


Hong Kong leader pledges building maintenance reforms after fatal Tai Po fire

Hong Kong court winds up Wang Fuk Court renovation consultant over debt

85% of Wang Fuk Court owners sign sale deals as flat selection moves ahead

Ensuring building safety in Hong Kong an uphill struggle

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Buildings Department files 259 charges over work at fire-ravaged Hong Kong estate

The fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po in November killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.  Photo: Jelly Tse

Supplier says subcontractor ordered non-fire-retardant nets before Tai Po blaze

Newly released documents show non-fire-retardant nets were ordered by a Wang Fuk Court subcontractor. Photo: Karma Lo

The committee’s counsel and expert witnesses previously identified the use of non-compliant scaffolding mesh as a key factor behind the fire’s rapid spread. Photo: Sam Tsang

Deceitful firms mostly to blame for deadly Tai Po blaze, government counsel says

Government counsel Jenkin Suen (centre) arrives for Thursday’s session of the inquiry. Photo: Edmond So

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Charges against two firms, four individuals relate to alleged use of substandard materials and failure to properly supervise repairs


Charges against two firms, four individuals relate to alleged use of substandard materials and failure to properly supervise repairs.


Buildings Department files 259 charges over work at fire-ravaged Hong Kong estate

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Charges against two firms, four individuals relate to alleged use of substandard materials and failure to properly supervise repairs

Charges against two firms, four individuals relate to alleged use of substandard materials and failure to properly supervise repairs