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The Fire Services Department today posthumously conferred the honorary title of Senior Fireman on the late Ho Wai-ho, in recognition of his exemplary service and selfless dedication to duty. At the ceremony, held at Sha Tin Fire Station, members of Mr Ho’s family accepted, on his behalf, a posthumous title conferment certificate and an embroidery of the Senior Fireman’s rank badge from Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung. Members of the department’s New Territories North Command were also present to witness the ceremony. Mr Ho was born in 1987 and joined the FSD as a fireman in 2016. He served at the Sha Tin Fire Station and demonstrated outstanding performance and dedication during his nine-year service. While executing a firefighting and rescue operation at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po on November 26 this year, Mr Ho sustained serious injuries and lost his life in the line of duty. The blaze was later upgraded to a No. 5 alarm fire. The department will hold a funeral with full honour for Mr Ho at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom, Kowloon on December 19. He will be laid to rest at the Gallant Garden in Wo Hop Shek afterwards.
Upon liaison with Police, the Housing Department will remove burnt scaffolding on the external walls of Wang Cheong House, Wang Tai House and Wang Sun House at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, starting this Friday. Meanwhile, the Buildings Department’s orders to remove scaffold nets has all been complied with. It will announce a new set of arrangements within this week requiring scaffold nets used at construction sites to be sampled on-site and certified as compliant with the relevant standards prior to installation, so that the relevant external wall work can resume as soon as possible. Financial supportAs of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.1 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.4 billion. The fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1,717 cases had been processed. The fund will also provide the families of each deceased victim with a $200,000 token of solidarity, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 109 cases had been processed. Furthermore, the Government announced today that a new special one-off grant of $100,000 under the fund will be provided to flat owners at all the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court. Social workers from the Social Welfare Department have been in contact with more than 1,980 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” follow-up service. Accommodation arrangementsAs of this morning, a total of 1,435 residents had been accommodated under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 2,677 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Hong Kong Housing Society. Separately, the temporary shelter at Tai Po Community Centre has ceased operation as users there have all relocated to the emergency accommodation arranged by the Government. The temporary shelter at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall will remain in operation until existing users have moved to the emergency accommodation. Relief suppliesOn the Government's online platform for donated supplies, about 1,700 registrations have been received, with approximately 30% submitted by organisations. Over 16,300 donated items, covering various categories, have been distributed. Regulation work The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit has inspected the scaffoldings at Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, On Kay Court in Kwun Tong, Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po and Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan. The contractor concerned has completed removing all the miscellaneous items on the scaffolding. As of 4pm today, the Labour Department had inspected 404 construction sites, issued a total of 210 written warnings and 104 improvement notices, and taken out 25 prosecutions.
The Legal Aid Department (LAD) today announced that it has established a dedicated task force to implement support measures to assist individuals affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, in applying for legal aid in accordance with statutory requirements. The legal aid aims to handle litigation and related matters about personal injury claims, property damage claims and employees’ compensation claims, the department explained. Specifically, the LAD has co-ordinated with the Social Welfare Department to leverage the “one social worker per household” service to disseminate information on legal aid, such as details on the scope of the legal aid, application procedures and eligibility criteria. In addition, the LAD has established telephone hotlines (2867 4516 or 2399 2277) to address enquiries from the affected citizens about legal aid. To ensure that the affected citizens can obtain legal aid as soon as possible, the LAD will streamline the application procedures and deploy staff to expedite the processing of applications. Furthermore, seminars will be held to elaborate on legal aid application matters. Staff will offer assistance on site. Separately, taking into account the burden and needs of the affected citizens, the LAD will arrange legal representatives to handle their litigation upon approval of their legal aid applications. In this regard, the LAD reminds the prospective applicants not to arrange their own legal representation, and not give instructions or sign authorisation documents for legal services, in order to avoid incurring unnecessary costs and safeguard their own interests.
To offer support to individuals affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, the Judiciary announced today that all potential legal proceedings related to the incident will be handled with priority and expeditiously through a series of facilitative measures. A dedicated task group, headed by the Chief Judge of the High Court and comprising relevant court leaders and specialist judges, will be set up to ensure the swift handling of legal proceedings related to the incident at all court levels, without unduly compromising the administration of justice. The Judiciary will designate a team of support staff for handling probate-related matters relating to the deceased victims of the fire. The team will liaise with relevant government departments to disseminate essential information on probate-related matters to affected families. A special hotline 2840 1683 is in operation to answer enquiries. The Judiciary will also waive probate-related scheduled fees relating to the deceased victims. At the same time, the court will consider fee concessions for other court services. Additionally, the processing of coroner-related matters, including the issue of Certificates of the Fact of Death, will be expedited.
The Government has expressed profound sadness over the death of a senior police inspector who had been taking part in an advanced selection assessment for the Police’s Special Duties Unit. The officer, 31, lost consciousness after completing a dive in the waters off Lamma Island on December 4. He was immediately transported to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment and passed away this evening. The force said it is investigating the incident and has temporarily suspended the advanced selection assessment exercise. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung and Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung extended their deepest condolences to the officer’s family. Mrs Yeung added that the Civil Service Bureau is in contact with Police to assist the family during this sad and difficult period. Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming said he felt deep sorrow over the death of the officer, who joined the force in 2016. Attached to the Tactical Unit Headquarters, the officer had consistently shown enthusiasm and passion for his work, and was highly committed to his duties, Mr Tsang added.
Following the order to remove scaffold nets issued by the Buildings Department (BD), as of 6pm today, 224 private buildings have had their scaffold nets removed from external walls. Four cases undergoing removal work have requested an extension of time which the BD has accepted. It is expected that the work will be finished within this week. The removal work of scaffold nets from the remaining two private buildings has been affected by ongoing contractual disputes between the contractors and the incorporated owners. The BD has arranged for government contractors to carry out the work and will recover the costs later. Additionally, the Architectural Services Department has completed the removal of scaffold nets at the government buildings under its purview before the deadline. Financial supportAs of 1pm today, donations received for the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have reached about $3 billion, on top of the $300 million startup capital from the Government, taking the fund's total to around $3.3 billion. The Government earlier announced that the fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1,273 cases have been processed. The living allowance is increased from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be disbursed in phases. The fund will also provide families of each deceased victim with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 90 cases have been processed. The Government has so far disbursed an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to 1,931 households. Social workers from the Social Welfare Department have been in contact with more than 1,970 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” follow-up service. Accommodation arrangementsAs of this morning, a total of 1,408 residents have been accommodated through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 2,702 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Hong Kong Housing Society.Relief suppliesOn the supplies donation online platform, the Government has so far received about 1,600 registrations, of which approximately 30% were submitted by organisations. Over 4,800 pieces of donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. Regulation work As of 4pm today, the Labour Department has inspected 332 construction sites, issued a total of 170 written warnings and 95 improvement notices, and taken out 25 prosecutions.
The Government announced that it has so far disbursed an emergency subsidy of $10,000 to 1,931 households affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. As of 4pm today, donations received for the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po amount to about $3 billion, on top of the $300 million startup capital from the Government, taking the fund's total to around $3.3 billion. It earlier announced that the fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 1,125 cases have been processed. The living allowance has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000 and will be disbursed in phases. The fund will also provide families of each deceased victim with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 85 cases have been processed. Social workers from the Social Welfare Department have been in contact with more than 1,970 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” follow-up service. Accommodation supportAs of this morning, a total of 1,403 residents have been accommodated through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 2,599 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Hong Kong Housing Society. The Transport Department is steering public transport operators to enhance franchised bus services, green minibuses and residents' services (RS) to support residents affected by the fire who have been admitted into transitional housing in various districts. Among them, an additional shuttle bus service has been launched connecting Good House in Tai Po, Tai Po Centre and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, while a supplementary RS has been introduced connecting THE STEP, a transitional housing project in Yuen Long, and Tai Po Market Station. Relief suppliesOn the supplies donation online platform, the Government has so far received over 1,500 registrations, of which approximately 30% were submitted by organisations. Over 4,800 pieces of donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places.Inspection workAs of 3pm today, of the some 200 private buildings installed with scaffold nets, 175 have had their scaffold nets removed from the external walls. The removal work at another 52 private buildings is underway and expected to be completed in one to two days. Three applications requesting additional time involving three buildings were received, and the relevant contractors indicated that they will aim to finish the removal work by next week. The Buildings Department (BD) is now pressing ahead with the formulation of a new set of arrangements requiring the scaffold nets used at construction sites to be sampled on-site and certified as compliant with the relevant standards prior to installation. The BD aims to make an announcement within the next week so that the relevant external wall work can resume as soon as possible. In view of the suspension of repair work on external walls of those buildings, after joint deliberation by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Development Bureau, the CIC will expand the quota of the current Multi-skilled/Skill Enhancement courses, which are tuition-free and with subsidies, and reserve 5,000 training places for affected workers, whose trades include plumbing, window framing, painting and decoration, plastering and bamboo scaffolding. Depending on the specific trade course and training hours, workers who complete the training and obtain qualifications can receive a maximum subsidy of $14,000 to $19,000. Applications for the programme will open on December 8. As of 4pm today, the Labour Department has inspected 318 construction sites, issued a total of 163 written warnings and 95 improvement notices, and has taken out 25 prosecutions.
Police's National Security Department today arrested a 71-year-old local man in Sheung Shui for “prejudicing of investigation of offences endangering national security” and “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention” in contravention of sections 88 and 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance respectively. Investigations revealed that the arrested man was suspected of disclosing details of a case endangering national security, after assisting with the probe conducted earlier by department officers. He was also suspected of publishing multiple videos with seditious intention online, with content provoking hatred towards the central authorities, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Judiciary. The man is being detained for further enquiries. Police took law enforcement actions based on evidence and in accordance with the actual circumstances, and applied section 88 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance for the first time.
The inaugural Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forum and the inaugural LawTech Conference were held today, marking the conclusion of Hong Kong Legal Week 2025. The five-day event attracted approximately 6,000 online and offline registrants from nearly 50 jurisdictions, demonstrating Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre that enjoys unique advantages owing to its common law system under the “one country, two systems” arrangement. The GBA Lawyers Forum, which took the theme of “GBA Connectivity: Setting Sail for Global Horizons”, brought together prominent legal experts from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to share insights on cross-boundary legal collaboration. This was followed by the LawTech Conference, which was the main event of this week's three-day LawTech Fest. The conference, themed “The AI Era: Shaping the Legal Landscape in the 21st Century”, featured a keynote speaker, an interactive segment and roundtable discussions, during which the LexGoTech Roundtables Report was released. In closing remarks at the conference, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam highlighted that the Chief Executive's recent Policy Address emphasised the Government's commitment to promoting AI as a core industry. Besides promoting the integration of lawtech and AI in the legal sector, the Department of Justice will establish an interdepartmental working group by the end of this year to co-ordinate the responsible bureaus in reviewing relevant legislation, he added.
As of noon today, donations received for the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po reached $2.7 billion, on top of the $300 million startup capital from the Government, taking the fund's total to around $3 billion. The Government said the fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support. It earlier announced that the Support Fund will provide families of each deceased victim with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 73 cases have been processed, and disbursements are underway. In addition, the Government announced that the Support Fund will provide a living allowance to each affected household. As of today, 923 cases have been processed, and disbursements are ongoing. It also announced yesterday an increase in the living allowance from $50,000 to $100,000. Those households that earlier received the living allowance of $50,000 do not need to register again, and the additional $50,000 allowance will be disbursed in phases. An emergency subsidy of $10,000 has been disbursed to 1,930 households so far. Social workers from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with more than 1,900 affected households, and more than 4,900 residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” follow-up service. SWD staff also paid visits to the affected residents staying in transitional housing units in Ta Kwu Ling and a youth hostel in Sham Shui Po today and distributed Octopus cards with a face value of $2,000 to facilitate their daily travels and address their imminent needs. Accommodation supportAs of this morning, a total of 1,369 residents have been accommodated through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 2,499 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Hong Kong Housing Society. Hospitalised casualtiesThe Hospital Authority announced that a total of 79 patients received treatment at various public hospitals following the fire. Among them, 19 were previously listed in critical condition due to severe burns, smoke inhalation and respiratory injuries. After receiving treatment, the condition of all the critical patients has improved. As of 6pm today, 30 patients remain hospitalised, with none in critical condition, six in serious condition and 24 in stable condition, while 49 patients have been discharged. Missing personsPolice completed searches inside all seven buildings. Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit conducted searches around the buildings and near the collapsed scaffolding today, which had been confirmed as safe. No human remains were found and the number of deceased remains at 159. The officers also handed over suspected human remains found earlier to forensic pathologists for further testing. Relief suppliesOn the the supplies donation online platform, the Government has so far received over 1,400 registrations, of which approximately 30% were submitted by organisations. Over 2,800 pieces of donation items, including bedding and electrical appliances, have been distributed to the accommodation soon to be open for residents to live in. Inspection workThe Housing Bureau today continued to arrange emergency maintenance contractors to help Police clear away miscellaneous items at the surroundings of the buildings. Further support works also continued in the small number of units that may be subject to more damage. Upon liaison with Police, the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit started to extract concrete cores from three of the seven affected buildings today. The Labour Department continues to inspect fire protection facilities and the fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding to ensure the occupational safety of workers. As of 4pm today, it has inspected 300 construction sites, issued a total of 148 written warnings and 79 improvement notices and taken out 25 prosecutions.