Hong Kong police have expanded their probe into allegedly fake scaffolding net safety certificates to six estates, following discoveries at two sites after the Tai Po inferno that prompted the removal of mesh netting at about 200 locations last week. The blaze on November 26 killed at least 159 people, including a firefighter, and left nearly 5,000 homeless.
On November 26, a catastrophic fire engulfed seven of eight residential blocks at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people, including a firefighter, and displacing nearly 5,000 residents. It ranks as one of the city's deadliest blazes.
Post-fire investigations revealed that scaffolding nets at the estate came from a Shandong manufacturer and were accompanied by suspected fake safety certificates. One mainland lab stated that a document bearing its name was fabricated. This raised alarms over citywide netting safety, leading authorities to order removals at about 200 sites last week.
Police have widened the probe to six estates: Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan, Fortress Garden in Fortress Hill, Baguio Villa in Pok Fu Lam, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, Ching Lai Court in Cheung Sha Wan, and Marigold Mansion in Hung Hom. In addition to the initial two, reports of similar fraudulent certificates emerged at four more. The cases are classified as 'requests for police assistance' and handled by the Hong Kong Island regional crime unit, with no arrests yet.
Meanwhile, reinforcement efforts have begun. Bundles of steel bars were lifted by crane to flats in the 31-storey Wang Cheong House—the first block to ignite—on Monday afternoon and hauled through windows to bolster the structure. Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming visited the site but did not address the media. He had previously noted that many flats were severely charred, with some load-bearing walls reduced to exposed reinforcement bars.
The police Disaster Victim Identification Unit completed searches of all seven affected blocks last Wednesday, but authorities expect investigations to take another two to three weeks. A makeshift memorial at the Kwong Fuk Sitting-out Area opposite the estate was cleared by police on Sunday night, and a nearby cordoned park reopened on Monday.
The incident underscores potential lapses in building safety certifications, which may have contributed to the fire's rapid spread.
