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Hong Kong Tai Po blaze killed 168 and displaced nearly 5,000
The South China Morning Post points to alleged systemic failures, including flammable renovation materials, non functioning fire alarms, and a largely older, home bound resident profile.
The South China Morning Post has published a multimedia series on Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po blaze at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, which it says claimed 168 lives and displaced nearly 5,000 people, making it the city’s deadliest fire in decades.
The paper said the fire engulfed seven of the estate’s eight 31 story blocks on November 26, 2025, during renovations. It highlighted preliminary investigation factors for rapid escalation, including the use of flammable materials such as non fire retardant scaffolding mesh and polystyrene foam boards, and failures involving fire alarms.
According to the series, Wang Fuk Court residents were disproportionately older, with nearly 40% aged 65 or above, and more than 50% of residents described as non working, which it says helps explain why many people were at home when the fire broke out in the afternoon.
The outlet said an independent committee held evidential hearings from March 19 to April 10, and that lead counsel Victor Dawes identified six “human failures” linked to an almost complete lack of fire safety measures at the estate.