Two weeks after a devastating fire engulfed Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong authorities have initiated significant engineering operations to stabilize the damaged structure and clear the site following the catastrophe that resulted in 160 fatalities and 79 injuries. The extensive recovery efforts, beginning early this week, involve specialized vehicles aimed at ensuring safety while facilitating forensic investigations and debris removal.
The ongoing operation focuses primarily on Wang Cheong House at the court, where construction vehicles, including crane trucks and concrete pump trucks, arrived on the morning of December 10, 2025. Workers were observed deploying heavy equipment to remove remnants of the fire, such as dismantled scaffolding and bamboo poles, while also conducting structural shoring work inside the heavily affected units.
Intensified Site Clearance Reveals Fire’s Ferocity
The removal of protective netting and external scaffolding has starkly exposed the extent of the damage. Charred, flaking external walls and blackened windows serve as a grim testament to the speed and intensity of the blaze. Crane trucks were utilized to lift away considerable rubble, laying bare the profound structural impact left by the inferno.
Police Commissioner Joe Chow confirmed that the ongoing operational phase prioritizes safety during searches and involves intense coordination with relevant technical departments. This third phase includes detailed structural integrity assessments, the systematic dismantling of remaining safety netting and scaffolding, and continued searches for six individuals who remain unaccounted for. Authorities are committed to providing rapid updates to the affected families.
Overhauling Construction Safety Standards
The preliminary findings of the Wang Fuk Court disaster suggest a critical link between the rapid spread of the fire and the plastic materials used externally on the building. Investigators believe the fire ignited on scaffold nets before rapidly spreading via foam boards used as protective barriers.
In immediate response to the tragedy, Hong Kong authorities are preparing to introduce a significantly tightened regulatory framework for construction site materials. Sources indicate that as early as Thursday, new regulations may be unveiled requiring on-site batches of scaffolding material—including protective nets, screens, tarpaulins, and plastic sheeting—to undergo mandatory fire-retardant testing at authorized laboratories.
Insiders reported that officials met with contractors and worker representatives earlier in the week to garner feedback on the proposed procedures, which would mandate testing and certification before any material is installed on a building façade. One key measure under consideration is the mandatory testing of every batch of materials used on a development site to verify adequate fire resistance.
City-Wide Safety Directives Issued
In parallel action, Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, the Development chief, has issued a directive for the immediate removal of nets from buildings undergoing major maintenance projects across the city. This mandate followed the discovery of falsified certification for plastic mesh materials used on other sites.
Linn also announced that building authorities would release new, comprehensive scaffolding guidelines this week, underscoring the government’s commitment to an accelerated overhaul of safety standards and enforcement practices across Hong Kong’s construction sector following the catastrophic loss of life at Wang Fuk Court. This regulatory pivot aims to prevent similar material-related fire hazards in future construction and maintenance projects.