Manslaughter Charges Filed After Hong Kong Residential Fire That Killed 168

Mon Jun 15 2026 12:48:30 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Hundreds died in the Wang Fuk Court blaze; authorities now face 25 charges including manslaughter and fraud against companies and individuals.

After a deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court that killed 168 residents, authorities have charged two construction firms and seven individuals with manslaughter, fraud and other offenses. The investigation reveals fatal breaches of fire safety, including deactivated alarms and flammable window covers. Since the blaze, at least 58 people have been arrested for related crimes, while government officials have cautioned the media against circulating false information.

Manslaughter Charges Filed After Hong Kong Residential Fire That Killed 168

The fire that swept through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex last November has left a trail of legal proceedings that could reshape Hong Kong’s construction industry. Authorities announced that two companies and seven individuals face 25 charges that include manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion.

Fire at Wang Fuk Court — The blaze that killed 168 residents became the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in more than seven decades.

The charges target the project consultancy firm and the main contractor involved in the complex’s renovation, as well as the directors of both companies and the registered inspector at the consultancy. While the names of the companies and individuals charged have not yet been released, earlier investigations pointed to Will Power Architects and Prestige Construction & Engineering Company.

Within weeks of the fire, police arrested 35 people on allegations of manslaughter and fraud, and an anti‑graft watchdog added 23 more arrests involving consultants, contractors and owners’ corporation members. By March, authorities had mentioned 58 arrests in connection with the tragedy.

Independent investigators highlighted a series of violations that facilitated the catastrophic spread of the blaze. Seven of the eight residential blocks had their fire alarms deactivated, while windows were boarded with flammable foam boards. Workers were found to have littered cigarette butts in the construction site—an act that the committee labeled a “human factor” failure.

In a separate but related development, Beijing’s national security arm arrested local columnist Wong Kwok‑ngon for what authorities described as “seditious” posts about the city’s response to the fire, a move that drew criticism from observers wary of press freedom. Meanwhile, Hong Kong officials urged media outlets to avoid spreading “false information” about the incident’s handling.

These legal actions underscore a broader push to hold contractors accountable for lapses in fire safety. The investigation into the Wang Fuk Court fire has prompted calls for stricter safety oversight and clearer liability frameworks in Hong Kong’s building sector.

For more on the incident, read the original report from BBC News.