HONG KONG — Nine months after a catastrophic fire killed 168 people and injured 79 at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, the Hong Kong Buildings Department (BD) on Wednesday laid 259 charges against four individuals and two companies linked to renovation works that investigators say contributed to the tragedy.
The two companies charged are the consultancy firm Will Power Architects Company Limited and the main contractor, Prestige Construction & Engineering Company Limited.
The four individuals facing charges are Will Power director Wong Hap-yin, registered inspector Ng Yeuk, and Prestige directors Hau Wa-kin and Ho Kin-yip.
Investigators found that the registered inspector, employed by the consultancy company to oversee the project, failed to properly supervise the prescribed repair works and ensure the building was safe.
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According to a BD spokesman, the main contractor and consultancy firm allegedly permitted or authorized the use of non-fire-retardant scaffold nets, canvas, and foam boards, and removed windows at escape staircases—creating openings that were covered with flammable materials.
“These caused the fire to spread rapidly and obstructed the means of escape, ultimately resulting in 168 deaths and 79 injuries,” the spokesman said.
The charges, brought under the Buildings Ordinance, include permitting defective materials to be used, authorizing works that cause injury or damage, and failing to properly supervise repair works.
The same four individuals and two companies were previously charged in June with manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and other offenses.
READ MORE: Tai Po fire: Hearing uncovers bid-rigging, oversight failures
In response to the disaster, the BD has stepped up regulation, launched inspections of about 400 buildings undergoing large-scale repairs across the territory, and plans to submit a bill to amend the Buildings Ordinance by the end of the year.
Prestige was removed from the register of general building contractors in February 2026.
