Tip of an iceberg: Hong Kong’s deadly blaze raises anger over corruption and safety lapses

Uncomfortable questions are mounting over accountability following Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades, which killed at least 156 people at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex. As residents mourn the tragedy, anger is escalating over building safety violations, suspected construction corruption, and inadequate government oversight.

Police and anti-corruption authorities have arrested 14 individuals in a wide-ranging investigation into the multi-million dollar renovation project where the fire originated last Wednesday. Those detained include scaffolding subcontractors and directors of construction and consultancy companies on suspicion of manslaughter and gross negligence.

The disaster has exposed systemic problems that extend far beyond this single incident, according to Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute in London. “The question one should be asking, really is that, what happened at Wang Fuk Court, can it happen elsewhere?” he said.

Hong Kong officials initially claimed tests of green netting covering bamboo scaffolding at the housing complex showed it met fire safety codes. They attributed the rapid spread of flames to highly flammable foam panels used to seal windows during repairs, with strong winds exacerbating the situation across seven of the eight towers in the complex.

However, Eric Chan, Hong Kong’s chief secretary, revealed on Monday that seven of 20 additional samples collected later from the site failed to meet safety standards. Authorities uncovered evidence suggesting contractors cut costs by mixing cheaper substandard netting with standard materials to increase profits, particularly after a typhoon in July damaged some of the originally installed netting.

Residents and officials also reported that some fire alarms failed to sound when the blaze erupted.

“It did open a Pandora’s box,” said John Burns, an honorary professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong. “You’ve got all of these issues which have been swept under the table. Because of all that we now know—or believe we know—about bid-rigging, collusion, corruption, no fire alarms, government negligence, all of these things have come out.”

As a precautionary measure, authorities suspended renovations at 28 other projects managed by the same construction company. Contractors across the city have begun removing foam boards and netting used to cover scaffolding at other sites as high-rise residents express growing concerns.

According to documents reviewed by The Associated Press, Wang Fuk Court residents had previously voiced safety concerns to authorities about construction materials used in the renovations. The Labor Department claimed it had reviewed the netting’s product quality certificate and found it “in line” with standards, adding that it conducted 16 inspections at the complex since last year—most recently about a week before the fire—and had repeatedly warned contractors to ensure fire safety requirements were met.

Political analyst Willy Lam, a senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, noted that public anger centers on government failings rather than just material concerns. “The focus of the people’s anger is on not so much the kinds of materials used but the lack of supervision and oversight from government departments,” he said.

In response to mounting public pressure, Chief Executive John Lee announced Tuesday that an independent committee led by a judge will investigate the fire. Lee also pledged to reform “the whole building renovation system” to prevent future disasters.

Critics maintain that bid-rigging, inflated costs, and lack of transparency are commonplace in Hong Kong construction projects. Jason Poon, a contractor turned whistleblower who has exposed problems at other construction projects, described the Wang Fuk Court fire as “just the tip of an iceberg,” noting that multilayered subcontracting chains increase risks of substandard work and limited oversight.

The tragedy occurs against a backdrop of tightening political control in Hong Kong. Following the 2020 implementation of a sweeping national security law by Beijing after pro-democracy protests, authorities have moved quickly to suppress accusations of government negligence regarding the fire. On Saturday, national security police reportedly arrested the organizer of a petition calling for officials to take responsibility for the disaster.

The Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong has warned that the tough national security law would be enforced against “anti-China” forces who use the fire to “incite hatred against authorities.”

Political scientist Jean-Pierre Cabestan suggests the disaster may impact Hong Kong’s December 7 Legislative Council election if angry voters stay away—a turnout metric closely monitored by Beijing as an indicator of approval for the territory’s “patriots-only” governance system.

“The question for the Hong Kong government is: do they care about what the people think?” Burns said. “They absolutely should. And if they ignore public opinion, I think, on this issue, this is a huge mistake.”