Wang Fuk Court Residents Return Five Months After Devastating Fire

Residents of Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court public housing estate began returning to their apartments on April 13, 2026, to assess damage and retrieve belongings, five months after a fire that resulted in numerous fatalities. The fire, which occurred on November 26, 2025, spread through seven of the complex's eight buildings, leading to a prolonged evacuation and an ongoing independent investigation into its causes and contributing factors.

The Fire Incident

On November 26, 2025, a fire broke out at approximately 2:51 PM local time in the Wang Fuk Court subsidized housing estate in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. The fire impacted seven of the estate's eight high-rise tower blocks, which contain approximately 1,800 residential units in total.

Firefighting operations continued for nearly 24 hours before the blaze was brought under control. The incident prompted a large-scale evacuation, with more than a thousand residents displaced from Wang Fuk Court and some from adjacent buildings. Temporary accommodation centers were established for those affected.

Casualties and Demographic Impact

Initial reports following the fire indicated varying casualty figures. Source 3 reported at least 36 fatalities at the time, while Source 4 reported at least 128 confirmed deaths. Source 1 later reported a figure of 168 fatalities, and Source 2 reported at least 159. All sources indicated the number of fatalities was expected to rise, with hundreds of residents initially reported as unaccounted for.

Census data from 2021 indicates approximately 40% of Wang Fuk Court residents are aged 65 or older. This demographic profile was cited as a factor in concerns regarding evacuation speed.

Among the deceased were individuals identified as domestic workers, including nine Indonesian and one Filipino national, according to Source 2.

Resident Accounts and Rescue Efforts

Multiple resident accounts describe the events during the fire:

• William Li, a resident, reported that fire alarms did not activate initially. After gathering belongings, he encountered dense smoke upon opening his door and retreated. He later assisted two neighbors, identified in local media as the Chows, by bringing them into his apartment.
• The Chows reported hearing a domestic worker calling for an elderly woman in the corridor before the voice ceased.
• Bai Shui Lin, 66, a resident of an adjacent building, was reported to have alerted multiple families by knocking on doors. She later succumbed to the fire.
• Rhodora Alcaraz, a domestic worker, remained with her employer's infant and elderly mother until rescue, sending voice messages that described difficulty breathing.
• Some residents, including Grandma Chan, 72, and Grandma Wu, 82, stated they were alerted to the fire by family or neighbors, not by an official alarm system.
• Mr. Chung reported his wife contacted him from their 23rd-floor apartment, stating she could not exit due to smoke. She was later reported among the missing.
• Ms. Fung reported her mother was in contact from a toilet within a building before communication ceased.

William Li and the two neighbors he assisted were trapped for several hours. They reported one fire exit was blocked by flames and another was reportedly locked, though the property manager's subsidiary did not respond to inquiries on this point. They were rescued after more than two hours.

Investigation and Contributing Factors

An independent committee commissioned by Hong Kong's chief executive is investigating the fire. Preliminary findings cited across sources indicate several contributing factors:

• Nearly all fire safety devices in the affected buildings failed on the day of the fire due to human error.
• Non-fire resistant netting and plastic sheets on exterior scaffolding, along with styrofoam wrapping windows, were present and highly flammable.
• Fire alarm systems malfunctioned or were not heard by residents during the initial stages.
• The buildings were undergoing a major renovation project valued at approximately HK$330 million, initiated the previous year. Some residents had opposed the project due to cost, with households contributing between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000.

Police arrested three executives from the involved construction firm in March 2026 on suspicion of "gross negligence."

In a separate development, police arrested three men in March 2026 on suspicion of theft from the fire site.

Post-Fire Conditions and Resident Return

The government has stated that cost-effective repair of the seven damaged buildings is difficult and has proposed buying back homeownership rights from affected residents. Some residents have questioned the government's stance on demolition, citing inquiry data showing varying degrees of damage across the approximately 1,700 affected apartments.

The resident return process began on April 13, 2026, and is scheduled to continue into early May. Access conditions include:

• Residents are typically permitted to stay in their units for up to three hours.
• Access is limited to one to four people per unit, depending on its condition.
• Apartments sustained severe damage, with some requiring structural reinforcement.
• Elevators in the buildings are not in service.

Over 1,400 of the registered returnees are aged 65 or older, with some preparing for the return by training to climb stairs.

Resident Statements on Return

Residents expressed mixed emotions upon returning:

• Keung Mak, 78, stated his heart was heavy upon seeing photos of his severely damaged apartment of over 40 years. He and his wife, Kit Chan, 74, believe most personal items of commemorative value are destroyed.
• Cyrus Ng, 39, a former resident, said he has mixed feelings about returning, hopes to retrieve documents, and expressed a desire to find the truth behind the fire.
• Stephanie Leung, a resident of the one building not directly damaged by fire, stated she is reluctant to continue living there due to the mental stress of overlooking the destroyed buildings.