HONG KONG — Authorities in Hong Kong have charged seven individuals and two companies with manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud over a devastating apartment fire that killed 168 people last November, marking the city’s deadliest blaze in decades.
The charges were announced by police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) following months of investigation into the November 26, 2025 inferno at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in the Tai Po district.
Officials said the accused face a total of 25 charges, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and attempting to pervert the course of public justice.
The two companies named in the case are a consultancy firm and the main contractor involved in a major renovation project at the estate at the time of the fire. Several of the individuals charged include company directors and a registered inspector linked to the project.
Investigators allege that negligence and possible corruption contributed to the scale of the disaster, including issues tied to renovation work being carried out on the residential buildings when the fire broke out.
The blaze engulfed seven of the eight towers in the housing complex, rapidly spreading through the high-rise structures and overwhelming evacuation efforts. Hundreds of residents were displaced as emergency teams battled the flames for hours.
Authorities also disclosed that the investigation has so far led to 35 arrests as part of a wider probe into safety violations and suspected malpractice connected to the renovation contract.
The fire has been described as one of the most severe urban disasters in Hong Kong’s modern history, prompting widespread public concern over building safety standards and construction oversight in densely populated residential estates.
Court proceedings against the accused have been adjourned to September, as legal and forensic investigations continue into the causes and accountability for the tragedy.
Officials say further findings are expected as the joint task force continues its work to establish how the fire escalated so rapidly and whether regulatory failures contributed to the scale of the disaster.
