Taipo fire kills at least 156 people ^{CEFR B1}

The fire in Taipo began at 14:51 and spread rapidly from a lower level. Fire alarm levels rose quickly: to level three within ten minutes, level four within forty minutes and level five by 18:22. Social media livestreams showed flames climbing green plastic safety netting and burning debris carried by the wind. It took about 15 hours to bring the fire under control and 43 hours to extinguish it. One firefighter died and 12 were injured during the rescue.

Wang Fuk Court, built in 1983, had a mandatory building inspection order in 2016. The Incorporated Owners appointed Will Power Architects as registered inspector after an open bidding process that received 57 applications. Prestige Construction & Engineering Company won with a HKD 330 million bid in January 2024 and repair work started in July 2024. Residents later complained about alleged bid rigging and poor-quality safety netting and foam boards.

The Labour Department visited the sites 16 times over 18 months and issued six warnings and three prosecution tickets, but it did not follow up on netting quality after a contractor certificate. After the blaze, an anti-corruption task force arrested about a dozen people and the Buildings Department suspended repair work at 30 sites run by Prestige and Fulam Construction. The government offered temporary housing, cash aid and a fund that had raised HKD 1,600 million by December 1, but critics say a full independent inquiry is still needed.