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Multiple departments under three task forces set up following the Tai Po blaze are working tirelessly to push forward support and relief efforts on all fronts. The three bodies are the Task Force on Investigation & Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support & Fundraising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements. They are led, respectively, by the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Chief Secretary, and the Deputy Financial Secretary. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government expressed its sincere gratitude to the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and to various departments of the Guangdong Provincial Government, for their staunch support and prompt assistance, including their provision of equipment such as drones, exoskeleton devices and protective gear, as well as medical supplies. It said this has significantly assisted the Hong Kong SAR's emergency response and follow-up efforts. Mourning victimsThe Government mourned the victims of the Wang Fuk Court fire and expressed its profound condolences to the bereaved at the Central Government Offices yesterday morning, with national and regional flags at all government buildings flying at half-mast. Members of the public also visited condolence points in various districts to sign condolence books and mourn the victims. Providing reliefThe Government is offering an emergency cash subsidy of $10,000 per affected household to provide immediate relief to affected residents. As of 3.30pm yesterday, the Government had registered more than 1,800 households for the subsidy and disbursed the emergency cash to 929 households. In addition, the Government will provide token solidarity payments of $200,000 to the families of each deceased victim, and a living allowance of $50,000 will be provided to each affected household starting from next week. Welfare assistanceAs of yesterday morning, social workers at the Social Welfare Department (SWD) had been in touch with about 1,300 households, and 3,200 affected residents had been registered for support services on a “one social worker per household” basis. Residents not yet in touch with the SWD are advised to leave their contact information by calling 182 183. In addition, the Government will further strengthen the “one social worker per household” service by mobilising civil servants. For each household, in addition to assistance from a social worker, two to three civil servants will be assigned to provide voluntary support, such as running errands or collecting supplies. Fundraising and suppliesOn top of a $300 million injection from the Government, as of 3pm yesterday the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had raised around $800 million, bringing the fund’s total to around $1.1 billion. The Government will also set up a central supplies station at the Tai Po Community Centre to co-ordinate and properly manage donated materials. Members of the public can also provide their contact information and details of items they wish to donate via WhatsApp, on 9213 2388, for the Government to follow up. In addition, the Government is working with the information technology sector to expedite the development of an online platform to facilitate registration of donated supplies from organisations and members of the public. Mortgage arrangementsIn order to alleviate financial pressures on affected owners at Wang Fuk Court, the Housing Authority has immediately relaxed the provisions regarding mortgage repayment periods and repayment amounts under the Deed of Guarantee. Emergency accommodationAs of yesterday afternoon, around 517 residents affected by the fire had been accommodated, under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 1,038 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Housing Society. Two shelters remain open for residents in need. To assist those staying at transitional housing units, a residents’ service plying between Good House in Tai Po and MTR Tai Po Market Station began operating yesterday morning. Meanwhile, the frequency of the service plying between another Tai Po transitional housing project, Trackside Villas, and MTR Tai Po Market Station, has been increased. Funeral arrangementsThe Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will arrange for dedicated staff to assist each bereaved family, allowing them to make funeral arrangements at their preferred time and location. A service counter has been set up at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary to offer assistance to families. Mental health, school supportThe Fire Services Department’s (FSD) Psychological Services Unit is providing emotional support and psychological counselling to family members of deceased fireman Ho Wai-ho, as well as to other frontline firefighters and supporting personnel. The unit will also conduct post-operational psychological debriefings to help them process their emotions. Meanwhile, to pool strength in the education sector, the Education Bureau has initiated the establishment of a territory-wide education sector support group for special incidents. The group comprises representatives of primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and special schools, as well as school councils and various school heads’ associations. It will serve as an exchange platform for keeping abreast of the situation in schools, providing affected students with tailored assistance, and garnering and unifying support to help students and teachers overcome trauma. Visit the dedicated website for the latest updates and information about support services for Wang Fuk Court. Locating missing persons The Police Force deployed over 600 officers from its Disaster Victim Identification Unit to conduct searches at two of the buildings yesterday, completing the operation at about 2.30pm. No human remains were found during the search. Once relevant departments confirm the safety of each building, Police will immediately deploy officers to conduct searches. The force will also continue to follow up on missing persons, so as to confirm their status and the number of casualties as soon as possible. Investigation workThe FSD-led interdepartmental Fire Investigation Task Force held its first meeting on Friday to investigate the cause of the fire and how it spread, and to determine the factors that led to heavy casualties. In addition, the FSD conducted functional tests on the fire alarm systems, including fire alarm bells, at all eight blocks of Wang Fuk Court after the fire. It was found that the fire alarm systems were not in effective working order. The FSD will continue to carry out inspections on other fire service installations and equipment in all blocks of the estate, and will collect evidence. Should any contraventions be found, the FSD will take appropriate enforcement action, or refer the case to law enforcement authorities for follow-up. Three personnel of a construction company arrested on November 27 have been released on bail. Police are conducting a thorough and in-depth investigation, and gathering evidence through various channels. Building safetyThe Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU), together with Housing Department professionals led by two Deputy Directors and five directorate Chief Structural Engineers, visited Wang Fuk Court yesterday to inspect the overall structural safety of the damaged buildings. By 1pm, the ICU had completed its inspections of the structural safety of Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House, as well as the first two floors of Wang Cheong Court. Based on its visual inspections, the ICU assessed that Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House should have no imminent risk in terms of structural safety. Preliminary observations suggested that some units may have more serious structural damage, and that temporary support may be necessary. Contractors have already been mobilised to conduct relevant works. The ICU continued to deploy manpower to conduct on-site sampling at Wang Fuk Court and four other Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) courts: Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, and On Kay Court in Kwun Tong. Samples collected from protective nets have been sent to the Government Laboratory for testing. In the four HOS courts other than Wang Fuk Court, if any flammable material is identified on external walls the ICU will instruct the contractors to remove it immediately. Meanwhile, the Buildings Department (BD) announced yesterday that it has issued orders under the Buildings Ordinance requiring the immediate temporary suspension of works on 28 private building projects with Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, Limited (PC&E) as the registered contractor. Suspension orders were also issued on another two private building maintenance projects where plastic sheetings were found to be used. The BD ordered the two registered contractors concerned to remove those sheetings at once, and will seek advice concerning legal penalties. As of yesterday, 250 buildings undergoing external wall maintenance had been inspected, with samples being been taken for testing from buildings which have scaffold nets. Follow-up actions will be promptly announced if further buildings are found to be using foam or plastic sheeting to block windows, or if sampling results indicate that scaffold nets fail to meet fire-retardant standards. Work safetyThe Labour Department (LD) launched a territory-wide special enforcement operation on Friday, targeting fire protection facilities and fire emergency preparedness at buildings maintenance work sites where large-scale scaffolding is erected. Among other checks, the operation is looking at whether protective screens on scaffolds comply with recognised standards for fire-retardant materials. As of yesterday, the LD had inspected 46 work sites and issued a total of 39 written warnings and two improvement notices.
The Government yesterday inaugurated an Inter-departmental Fire Investigation Task Force in response to the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, the Fire Services Department (FSD) said. Led by the FSD, the task force comprises representatives from the Police Force, the Buildings Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, the Labour Department and the Government Laboratory, as well as fire engineering professionals. The task force held its first meeting yesterday with two main objectives – to investigate the cause of the fire and how it spread, and to determine the factors that resulted in heavy casualties. After the meeting, the members conducted a site inspection at the scene of the Wang Fuk Court fire.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption arrested three more people last night in connection with possible corruption relating to renovation works at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. All three were detained for further enquiries. Earlier yesterday, the ICAC arrested eight people following its establishment of a task force to launch a full investigation into the above-mentioned case. The three new arrestees, aged between 52 and 68, were persons-in-charge at the contractor undertaking the Wang Fuk Court renovation project. They were arrested by Police on Thursday, before being released last night and arrested by the ICAC.
Following the establishment of a task force to launch a full investigation into possible corruption in the grand renovation project of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the Independent Commission Against Corruption today arrested eight individuals, all of whom are being detained for further enquiries. The arrestees, aged between 40 and 63, include seven men and one woman. Four of them are from the consulting firm of the grand renovation project, namely two directors and two project managers responsible for supervising the project. Three others are scaffolding subcontractors, including a couple who are the proprietors of a company. The remaining arrestee is a middleman. Search warrants were executed today at 13 premises, including the offices of the consulting firm and the subcontractors, as well as the residences of the arrestees. Works documents and bank records were seized.
The Government today said that the firefighting and rescue operations at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have been completed, and various bureaus and departments are focusing on stepping up follow‑up support and recovery work. Victim identificationTo expedite the handling of enquiries related to missing people, Police activated the Major Incident Investigation & Disaster Support System to help identify the casualties. The Disaster Victim Identification Unit will also be deployed to systematically confirm the identities of the victims, and provide evidence for subsequent investigations and follow‑up work. An identification centre has also been set up to assist families in conducting preliminary identification of the deceased through photographs. Following initial identification, Police will arrange formal identification procedures. In accordance with the Coroners Ordinance, the bodies of the victims in the fire will be transferred to the public mortuary. The Department of Health's Forensic Pathology Service is collecting evidence for the Police's Disaster Victim Identification Unit and fully assisting in the identification of the deceased. Considering that bereaved families may have difficulty providing identification documents and medical records of the deceased, forensic pathologists will exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis and provide appropriate support. They will also endeavour to assist bereaved families in applying for a waiver of post-mortem procedures according to their wishes. Providing reliefTo provide immediate relief for affected residents, the Government began offering an emergency cash subsidy of $10,000 per affected household last night. Applications were processed for 78 households last night, with $780,000 disbursed. As at 4pm today, the Tai Po District Office is processing applications from over 1,200 households, and the emergency cash subsidies will be disbursed over today and tomorrow. Additionally, the Government will provide a token of solidarity of $200,000 to the family members of each deceased victim, and starting next week, a living allowance of $50,000 will be provided to each affected household. Funeral arrangementsThe Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will arrange dedicated staff to assist each family of the deceased in handling funeral arrangements, including body claims, cremation services and applications for niche allocations. The FEHD will also maintain close co-ordination with social workers under the Social Welfare Department's (SWD) “one social worker per household” initiative. The FEHD will provide extra cremation sessions and make available niches at its public columbaria, enabling families to arrange cremations and post-funeral matters promptly at their preferred time and location. The Government will waive fees for cremation services and niches at public columbaria, bear funeral expenditures, and provide $50,000 to the families of each deceased individual.HKID replacementResidents affected by the fire may visit the Immigration Headquarters during office hours without an appointment for replacements of Hong Kong identity cards or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region travel documents, any Registration of Persons Office for replacements of identity cards, and any Immigration Branch Office for replacements of travel documents. Meanwhile, the Immigration Department has deployed officers to various temporary shelters to assist the affected residents of Wang Fuk Court with pre-registration and will arrange dedicated vehicles to take them to the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O later to complete the procedures for replacements of personal documents, including Hong Kong identity cards, Hong Kong SAR travel documents and the Hong Kong Birth Certificate. Relevant fees will be waived. A special service session will be arranged at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O outside office hours tomorrow to process relevant applications. For the Hong Kong & Macao Residents Entry & Exit Permit, the Immigration Department has liaised with the China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong to provide a special service period to assist residents in need to apply for Home Return Permits and other travel documents issued by Mainland authorities at the adjacent China Travel Service Document Services HK Limited Tseung Kwan O Centre, after completing their relevant applications at the Immigration Headquarters. Emergency accommodationThe Government is striving to provide emergency accommodation support for residents affected by the fire. As of this morning, around 205 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels/camps or hotel rooms. Another 601 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau. Furthermore, nine shelters remain open, with around 720 residents staying overnight yesterday. An interdepartmental support station is set up at each shelter, and District Services & Community Care Teams across all 18 districts will take turns to be on duty to assist residents. Transport servicesTo accommodate the needs of residents admitted into Lok Sin Village and Good House, two transitional housing projects in Tai Po, the Transport Department (TD) has co-ordinated with KMB to enhance the service of route Nos. 72C, 73P, 74E, 75K, 75P and 275R travelling along Ting Kok Road, as well as relevant operators to strengthen the service of the New Territories Green Minibus (GMB) route Nos. 20B, 20C, 20E, 20G, 20R and 20T. Starting from November 29, the GMB operator concerned will provide an additional temporary service connecting Good House and MTR Tai Po Market Station. With support from the MTR Corporation (MTRC), the Government will provide the affected residents with Octopus cards with $2,000 of stored credit through the SWD, with each resident receiving one card to facilitate their daily travel. The MTRC has also set up a support desk at MTR Tai Po Market Station to facilitate express registration for residents whose JoyYou Card, Octopus cards for people with disabilities, and Octopus cards for students that have been lost or damaged. Financial supportSeparately, the Financial Secretary convened a co-ordination meeting this afternoon with financial regulators to enhance support for residents affected by the fire. The Insurance Authority has set up a dedicated task force to co-ordinate the insurance sector's responses on the handling of public enquiries and claims. Insurers are also offering various forms of assistance, including prioritising claims processing, expediting payouts, offering premium holidays or extended payment deadlines, and providing interest relief on policy loans. Welfare assistanceOn other emergency support, the SWD has registered more than 900 households for the provision of “one social worker per household” services in order to render necessary assistance according to their welfare needs. The SWD will continue to reach out to other unregistered households or they may leave their contact information by calling 182 183; social workers will assist to follow up. Moreover, the SWD has arranged respite services for dozens of elderly residents and people with disabilities. Social welfare organisations were also engaged to provide burial services for residents in need. Staff mobilisationMeanwhile, the Civil Service Bureau today mobilised more than 200 additional staff to form Quick Response Units to provide support at temporary shelters and other locations in Tai Po, including distributing supplies to affected residents. They include civil servants from the Civil Engineering & Development Department and the Immigration Department, as well as staff from the Independent Commission Against Corruption. School supportTo support schools and students to cope with the incident, the Education Bureau (EDB) will offer $100,000 to each primary and secondary school and $50,000 to each kindergarten in Tai Po District under the Special Incident Assistance Grant. If any school premises are damaged, the EDB will arrange emergency repair works. Additionally, the EDB will hold five online seminars on psychological support this coming weekend to assist school personnel and parents in taking care of students or children with traumatic experiences. Fundraising effortMembers of the public can visit 122 post offices across the city, including three mobile post offices, to donate to the government-established Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. A receipt will be issued upon completion as confirmation. To further facilitate the public, the Faster Payment System (FPS) channel for the relief fund has been activated (FPS Identifier: 124037276). The Government is working with the information technology sector to expedite the development of an online platform for registering donated supplies, to allow organisations and members of the public to register the items they can donate, enabling the Government to better consolidate the information and distribute the supplies to residents in need when necessary. People may provide their contact information and details of items they can donate via WhatsApp at 9213 2388 for timely follow-up by the Government. Dedicated websiteThe Government has established a dedicated website Support Services for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, providing a one-stop platform for relevant information and updates on accommodation support, relief supplies, government dedicated fund, financial support, as well as medical and counselling services, to facilitate public access. Construction probeThe three personnel of the construction company arrested yesterday are still being detained for enquiries. The Fire Services Department has established an interdepartmental investigation team with participating departments including the Hong Kong Police Force, the Buildings Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Housing Department, the Labour Department and the Government Laboratory. The investigation will commence shortly. On the protective nets used at Wang Fuk Court, the contractor submitted a test report to the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit (ICU) in October 2024. Upon review, the ICU did not identify any non-compliance issues against the fire-retardant requirements as stipulated in the Buildings Ordinance and relevant practice notes/circular letters. Officers of the ICU visited Wang Fuk Court in November 2024 to oversee how the registered inspectors and contractor conducted on-site sampling and burned the material of the protective nets, but no combustible feature was detected. In light of the fire incident and to conduct sampling and testing at the work sites, the ICU conducted preliminary on-site sampling of the protective nets yesterday at five Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) courts that have been issued notices under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and are currently undergoing major maintenance works. Apart from Wang Chi House of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, others include Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, and On Kay Court in Kwun Tong. The preliminary results of the tests conducted by the Government Laboratory have not identified any non-compliance issues against the fire-retardant requirements of protective nets as stipulated in the Buildings Ordinance and relevant practice notes/circular letters.The ICU has also conducted on-site sampling of the styrofoam materials used for protecting the windows at Wang Chi House of Wang Fuk Court, which was not affected by the fire incident. Tests by the Government Laboratory confirmed that the styrofoam material is flammable. Except for Wang Fuk Court, the ICU has not identified any cases of using styrofoam boards as the protective materials for the external walls or windows at the other four HOS courts. The ICU will continue to conduct on-site sampling at the seven buildings affected by the fire incident in Wang Fuk Court. Immediate referral will be made to the law enforcement agencies for prosecutions if any non-compliance issues are found. The Buildings Department (BD) commenced inspections yesterday in batches of existing buildings that are undergoing major external wall repairs and with scaffold nets installed for checking of records or relevant test documents regarding the fire-retardant properties of materials such as scaffold nets, and collecting samples for testing. As of 5pm today, the BD inspected 127 buildings and collected samples, which are sent in batches to the Government Laboratory, local private laboratories and Mainland laboratories for testing. Results are expected within one to three days. The BD aims to complete inspections and sampling in batches within next week at the latest. In the inspections conducted so far, the BD has discovered two buildings with foam boards covering windows and has requested their immediate removal. It will notify residents by letter and seek legal advice for considering legal penalties. The BD has issued circular letters to all registered building professionals and registered contractors, requiring them to review records or test documents for materials such as scaffold nets for ongoing works, regardless of whether the projects are new building constructions or maintenance of existing buildings. The review includes checking whether the materials are in good condition and meeting fire-retardant performance standards and requirements. Reports must be submitted to the BD within seven days and it will immediately conduct audit checks for sampling and testing. The Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) has also requested the contractors of 24 public works building projects to review the records or test documents of materials, such as scaffold protective nets. A report must be submitted to the ArchSD within seven days. Separately, in response to the public concern over the Emergency Relief Chit, the Social Welfare Department clarified that the chits are only a record for residents who received Emergency Relief Services at temporary shelters, noting that it is irrelevant to the “one social worker per household” service. The department reiterated that residents with the “one social worker per household” service arrangement do not need any registration card as documentary proof.
In view of the No. 5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that had caused multiple casualties, the Chief Executive convened an interdepartmental urgent meeting yesterday afternoon. The Government’s Emergency Monitoring & Support Centre was then activated, with officers from relevant departments closely monitoring the situation, co-ordinating efforts to strive to alleviate the impact of the fire. The Government said its top priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue trapped residents; the second is to treat the injured; the third is to provide post‑incident support, offer assistance to the families of the deceased, the injured and affected residents; and the fourth is to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Firefighting, police workThe Fire Services Department (FSD) received reports at 2.51pm yesterday that a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court. Its staff arrived speedily at 2.56pm and discovered that the scaffolds outside the building had caught fire, and that the blaze had spread to the interior and other buildings. Firefighting and rescue operations began immediately. The fire was upgraded several times and reached the No. 5 alarm at 6.22pm. Eleven jets and eight turntable ladders have been deployed for water spraying, and 26 search and rescue teams are handling assistance calls at scene. During the operation, the FSD dispatched over 200 fire appliances and about 100 ambulances, and mobilised over 1,200 fire and ambulance personnel. Separately, police officers set up a command post upon arrival and mobilised over 1,000 staff to co-ordinate residents’ evacuation, rescue operations and emergency support. In addition to directing traffic at the scene and surrounding areas, Police also implemented road closures, traffic control measures and diversions to facilitate rescue operations. Moreover, the force has set up a casualty enquiry hotline. If members of the public suspect that their relatives or friends have gone missing in relation to the fire, they can call 1878 999 for assistance. During the operation, the Auxiliary Medical Service has deployed six ambulances and 33 staff to provide on-site treatment and transport the injured to hospitals. Medical careUpon the FSD’s notification about the blaze, the Hospital Authority immediately activated the Major Incident Control Centre to co-ordinate contingency measures, with the accident and emergency departments of nine public hospitals having been alerted to standby to receive casualties. Among them, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and North District Hospital mobilised their full resources for rescue efforts. Meanwhile, North District Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital also sent staff to the incident site to help triage and provide initial treatment to patients. The burn centres of Queen Mary Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital, as well as Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital’s hyperbaric oxygen therapy centre, were prepared for the incident to receive patients anytime. Evacuation needsIn response to the evacuation needs involving Kwong Fuk Estate, staff members of the Housing Department and the management company concerned have provided assistance to residents. The Housing Bureau and the Housing Department have also been maintaining close contact with the Home Affairs Department and the Social Welfare Department to provide full assistance to the affected residents, including arranging those at Wang Fuk Court and Kwong Fuk Estate in need to move to transitional housing, interim housing or transit centres. The Tai Po District Office (TPDO) has opened multiple temporary shelters for residents in need. As at 9.30pm yesterday, about 900 people were using the shelters. The TPDO has deployed all 19 District Services & Community Care Teams across the district to provide support, while the Sha Tin District Office (STDO) nearby and its care teams have provided cross-district support. Care teams in other districts will also be mobilised to provide appropriate support. The TPDO, STDO and North District Office have set up interdepartmental help desks at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and North District Hospital to provide assistance and handle public enquiries. Welfare, emotional supportAdditionally, the TPDO will provide assistance to families of the deceased and injured in their applications for the Emergency Relief Fund or the Special Aid Fund, as well as liaise with various assistance funds operated by other charitable organisations. The Social Welfare Department has deployed social work officers and supporting staff to the help desks and shelters to offer help to the residents. Besides, the Civil Aid Service mobilised over 100 people to assist with the operation of the temporary shelters. Medical social workers will provide emotional support to the injured and their families. Through liaison by the TPDO, the Hong Kong Red Cross deployed staff to the temporary shelters to provide emotional support and medical assistance. The Health Bureau has also arranged for the “18111 - Mental Health Support Hotline” to step up its manpower to handle calls. Moreover, support information on coping with stress or negative emotions has also been posted to the “Shall We Talk” social media channels. Building safetyLast month, the Buildings Department (BD) issued a circular letter to all registered building professionals and registered contractors, urging them to inspect and ascertain that the protective net and the like used in their construction projects are in compliance with the recognised standards in terms of fire-retardant capability. Wang Fuk Court is a sold property under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS). The works are carried out by Prestige Construction & Engineering, a registered contractor hired by the Incorporated Owners of the HOS court. The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU) exercises building control over the works in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance. The ICU will conduct an investigation into the fire. If violations of the Buildings Ordinance are found, the case will be referred to the BD for handling, including prosecution or disciplinary proceedings. In response to the fire, the BD and the ICU will carry out special operations targeting ongoing construction projects. Registered building professionals and registered contractors will be required to review records or test certificates relating to the fire-retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds, and submit reports. As at midnight, the Tai Po fire has resulted in 36 deaths and 36 injuries, including one fireman among the deceased.
Police today arrested three men in-charge of a construction company, for manslaughter in relation the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po yesterday. At about 2.50pm yesterday, Police received reports saying that a fire broke out at a housing estate on Tai Po Road - Yuen Chau Tsai. The fire on some scaffolding spread rapidly to other blocks in the estate and resulted in multiple deaths and injuries. Upon initial investigation, it was suspected that the protective nets, tarpaulins and plastic sheets used for the maintenance works may not have been up to fire safety standards. Foam boards were also found installed to the windows of the buildings. The three men, aged 52 to 68, were arrested in Ngau Tau Kok, Tai Po and Wong Tai Sin today. They are being detained for further enquiries. The New Territories North Regional Crime Unit is carrying out an investigation. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information to offer is urged to call the investigating officers at 5566 0087.
The Immigration Department today announced that residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po may visit any Registration of Persons Office during office hours for the replacement of their Hong Kong identity card without an appointment.Affected residents who need to replace their Hong Kong Special Administrative Region travel documents may visit Immigration Headquarters or any Immigration Branch Office during office hours without an appointment.Send an email or call 2824 6111 for enquiries.
In view of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that has caused multiple casualties, the Chief Executive convened another meeting today to co-ordinate all policy bureaus and departments, actively advancing the response efforts in four key areas: extinguishing the fire and rescuing trapped residents; treating the injured; providing post-incident support; and conducting a comprehensive investigation. Among the eight buildings in Wang Fuk Court, the fires in seven affected blocks are largely under control. The Fire Services Department (FSD) is continuing its full effort in completing the search and rescue and firefighting operations on the remaining floors. During the blaze, the department received 346 requests for assistance and handled 296 of them. The Primary Healthcare Commission co-ordinated professionals from the public and private medical sectors to set up medical stations at all temporary shelters. The medical stations provide medical assistance for residents in need from 8am to 8pm daily, assisting in managing non-emergency medical needs. As for post-incident support, the Chief Executive has instructed the Civil Service Bureau to activate the "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism to ensure sufficient manpower for all necessary follow-up actions. All government-organised celebratory events will be cancelled or postponed, and officials will reduce attendance at non-essential public activities so as to focus on relief and recovery efforts. The Government will arrange memorial activities, including flying flags at half-mast at government buildings, holding memorial services and setting up condolence books for the public. To meet the short to medium-term accommodation needs of affected residents, the Government has opened nine shelters, which are currently being used by over 500 residents. The Home & Youth Affairs Bureau has liaised with youth hostels and hotels, which will provide around 1,000 units for affected residents to stay in immediately for one to two weeks. Resources are being co-ordinated for transitional housing and dedicated rehousing units from the Housing Society, with an estimated 1,800 units to be made available later to meet the residents’ needs. In addition, the Social Welfare Department has mobilised social workers, clinical psychologists and support staff to provide "one social worker per household" assistance, including emotional support, financial assistance, and residential care and occasional child care services. The department will closely liaise with relevant departments to offer necessary assistance to those affected. The Education Bureau has immediately contacted the school heads associations in Tai Po and schools near Wang Fuk Court to co-ordinate class suspension arrangements for the affected schools. It has also deployed staff to give emotional support to students at the temporary shelters. Starting tonight, the Government will provide an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to each affected household as immediate relief. It has concurrently established the "Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po", allocating $300 million as start-up capital to assist residents and support all relevant work. The fund started to accept donations at 7pm. Its designated bank accounts at the Bank of China (Hong Kong) are: Hong Kong dollar donation account 012-875-2-190159-7 and foreign-currency donation account 012-875-2-190160-7. As for funeral arrangements for the deceased, if affected residents require cremation services or columbarium niches, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will make special arrangements and provide full support. Police have arrested two male directors and a male engineering consultant of a construction company, and seized for further inspection the materials at the scene that may not have met regulatory standards. Once the fire is extinguished and on-site safety is confirmed, Police will co-ordinate with the FSD to gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the blaze. Separately, the Buildings Department (BD) and the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit have issued a letter to all registered building professionals and registered contractors, requiring them to review relevant records or test certificates relating to fire retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds for ongoing projects. The letter recipients must submit a report to the BD within seven days, after which the department will conduct audit checks. At the same time, the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) has required contractors of building projects under public works contracts to review and submit the aforesaid information within seven days. The ArchSD will also conduct audit checks. Additionally, the BD has launched a special operation to inspect all buildings that are undergoing external wall renovations with scaffolding and protective nets. It will proactively check the records or test certificates relating to fire retardant properties of the protective nets and the like used in scaffolds, and collect samples for testing. The registered contractor responsible for the maintenance works at Wang Fuk Court is currently involved in 11 other private residential building projects. The BD has inspected the relevant sites and will take appropriate follow-up action. The Development Bureau has discussed with the industry the roadmap for advancing the replacement of bamboo scaffolding with metal scaffolding. The bureau also requested the industry's co-operation with the inspection and audit checks. The BD will review the relevant requirements, guidelines and legislation regulating the erection of scaffolding, be they metal or bamboo, and associated protective nets, and will consider if there is a need for strengthening or enhancement. As at 8pm today, the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po has resulted in 65 deaths and 77 injuries, including one fireman among the deceased. To better co-ordinate follow-up action, the Government has established three working groups to take forward the relevant work: an inspection and regulatory working group led by the Chief Secretary, an emergency assistance and fundraising group led by the Deputy Chief Secretary and an emergency residential arrangement working group led by the Deputy Financial Secretary.
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Shenzhen Vice Mayor Luo Huanghao co-chaired a meeting of the task force on the collaboration for the planning and development of Hong Kong-Shenzhen control points in Hong Kong today to continue taking forward relevant work in the planning and development of boundary control points (BCPs). Mr Tang welcomed the arrival in Hong Kong of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government leaders, as well as representatives of the Office of Port of Entry & Exit of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government and other relevant units to participate in the task force meeting. Noting that the flow of people between Hong Kong and Shenzhen continues to increase, Mr Tang said that the governments of the two sides attach great importance to the planning, development and management of BCPs, maintaining close collaboration and continuously optimising boundary-crossing services. Both parties strive to enhance the capacity and operational efficiency of BCPs, injecting new momentum to enhance the convenience of people's livelihood and the integrated development of industries. During the meeting, the two delegations discussed the planning and development of land BCPs, including reporting on the progress and exchanging views on the redevelopment projects of the Huanggang and Sha Tau Kok BCPs. Concluding the meeting, Mr Tang said that the task force serves as a co-operative platform for developing convenient and efficient BCPs. He expressed hope that both sides would continue to collaborate on innovation to promote smart clearance and the upgrade of infrastructure, with a view to facilitating the smooth flow of people and goods and jointly promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Other Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government officials attending the meeting included representatives from the Customs & Excise Department, the Immigration Department, the Architectural Services Department and the Department of Health.