LONDON — A catastrophic fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court complex left at least 159 dead, with dozens of people still missing as of Dec. 3. The inferno began at the high-rise apartments Nov. 26 and has drawn comparisons with the deadly Grenfell Tower fire disaster here in 2017.
Wang Fuk Court was home to 4,600 people, most now displaced, in eight 31-story blocks containing some 2,000 apartments.
The fire erupted outside one building and spread rapidly to engulf seven of the complex’s towers with hundreds of residents trapped inside. It took 750 firefighters more than two days to extinguish the blaze.
Anger among working people deepened across the city after it was revealed that the fire alarms were turned off.
For months beforehand, residents had raised complaints with authorities about flammable materials used to cover the buildings during a major renovation. Styrofoam used to seal windows, protective netting, and canvas and plastic sheets accelerated the spread of the fire.
When residents had complained about the netting covering the building, the Labour Department said it had inspected the building 16 times since July last year and the netting met its safety standards. A week before the blaze, it admitted better fire-safety measures were needed, but claimed “no matters warranting prosecution were discovered.”
Anger over the disaster was deepened by opposition to the Beijing-imposed government in the city.
The staggering death toll from the fire prompted an outpouring of volunteers willing to help people displaced by the disaster. Thousands turned out to pay their respects, laying flowers, toys and notes for the victims.
Almost 40% of residents were over 65. It was especially hard for elderly residents to escape as there was no warning of the spreading fire. As the fire took hold, burning debris, especially plastic netting and tarpaulins, began to fall from the building.
Miles Kwan, a 24-year-old student, was arrested by police for “seditious intent” after handing out flyers demanding government accountability over the fire. He was released on bail Dec. 1.
Kwan called for the resettlement of residents, an independent investigation and a review of authorities’ oversight of construction. An online petition containing these demands gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before officials deleted it.
Luk Yu Yeung, who lost his mother in the blaze, posted the petition’s demands online. “These are things they should be doing — they shouldn’t need to be told,” he told Bloomberg News. “No matter how long it takes, the government owes us an answer regarding this project. … This was a man-made disaster, not a natural one.”
The Beijing-controlled national security office in Hong Kong accused those circulating the petition of trying “to incite confrontation and tear society apart.”
After huge protests for democratic rights in Hong Kong in 2019, China’s rulers imposed a repressive national security law. Since then, Hong Kong cops have arrested 348 people for various national security “crimes,” like the sedition charge Kwan faces.
The day after the fire began, city officials denounced those in charge of the construction company responsible for the renovation as “grossly negligent” and arrested two of its directors and a consultant on manslaughter charges. By Dec. 1, another 11 had been arrested on similar charges, as authorities sought to deflect blame from themselves.
Prestige Construction & Engineering contractors began the renovation work on Wang Fuk Court last year. The company was fined three times in 2023 for failing to meet safety standards on other projects. Concerned about the company’s disregard for safety, homeowners at Wang Fuk Court had voted to remove the management committee at a general meeting prior to the fire.
“Authorities moved quickly to try to pin the blame all on the construction company,” Daniel Chan, a Hong Kong resident, wrote in a letter to the Militant. “But companies often violate rules because even if they’re convicted they usually only pay a fine with no other consequences.”
In the U.K. and elsewhere, the fire was reminiscent of the June 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster in London, which led to the deaths of 72 people and injured a similar number.
That 24-story tower had been wrapped in highly flammable cladding that went up in a fast-spreading fire. The building also had broken fire alarms as well as no sprinkler system. Like at Wang Fuk Court, residents had complained before the blaze that the building was a death trap only to have their warnings unheeded by authorities.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the horrific fire in Hong Kong,” the Grenfell United survivors group wrote. “To the families, friends and communities, we stand with you. You are not alone.”