TAI PO — Hong Kong police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption charged seven individuals and two companies with 25 criminal counts in connection with a fire at Wang Fuk Court. The fire occurred on November 26, 2025, engulfing seven residential buildings and resulting in 168 fatalities.
The charges against the individuals and companies include manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion. The seven charged individuals held various roles in a renovation project at the housing complex, and the two charged companies are the project consultancy firm and the main contractor for the renovation. These individuals include directors from both companies and the registered inspector at the consultancy firm.
The cases were scheduled for a court hearing on the afternoon the charges were filed. Authorities did not publicly disclose the names of the charged individuals or companies. Police stated that nine individuals have been charged in connection with the complex as of the current investigation phase.
Lawyer Victor Dawes stated that nearly all fire safety systems at the complex failed during the incident due to human error. Prior to the fire, the Wang Fuk Court housing complex housed thousands of residents. In March, police arrested 38 individuals on allegations related to the complex, including manslaughter and fraud. The anti-corruption agency also arrested 23 individuals in March on suspicion of offenses including bribery and conspiracy to defraud. Shortly after the fire occurred last year, the anti-corruption agency arrested two directors of structural engineering consultancy Will Power Architects.