Authorities in Hong Kong have taken urgent steps to remove mesh netting from buildings under renovation after it was linked to a devastating fire that claimed at least 159 lives. On Wednesday night, officials mandated the removal of scaffolding nets from all residential structures by Saturday to ensure public safety and reassure the community.
This action follows an investigation into the city’s most lethal fire in decades, where the mesh was deemed responsible for intensifying the blaze that consumed seven high-rise buildings at Wang Fuk Court on November 26.
Renovation projects throughout the city will pause indefinitely as safety inspections are conducted on the netting. In Sha Tin, a short drive from the Wang Fuk complex, workers began dismantling the netting on Thursday morning.
C.K. Lau, a resident of the Sha Tin estate, expressed relief over the decision, highlighting the improved sense of safety among residents.
Police have apprehended 21 individuals in connection with the fire, including 15 construction company employees charged with manslaughter. Among those arrested are key figures from Prestige Construction, the primary contractor at Wang Fuk Court. Additionally, six people from a fire service contractor face fraud charges.
Authorities attribute the fire’s severity to substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used during renovations, compounded by non-functional fire alarms.
Despite prior assurances of low fire risk, residents of the 4,600-strong Wang Fuk Court complex had expressed concerns about fire hazards. In response, city leader John Lee has commissioned a judge-led inquiry into the fire and renovation oversight.
Contractors Must Cover Removal Costs
Development Secretary Bernadette Linn announced that over 200 private and more than 10 public buildings must remove the netting at the contractors’ expense. A new code of practice requiring onsite sampling of scaffold nets will be introduced next week, mandating certification from designated labs before installation.
Investigations are also underway into potentially fraudulent safety documents for netting from a Chinese manufacturer. Prestige, involved in renovations at one of these sites, has not responded to inquiries.
Of the 159 victims recovered from the Wang Fuk Court fire, 140 have been identified, including 91 women and 49 men, aged between one and 97. Among those missing are foreign domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines.
Temporary accommodation has been arranged for over 2,900 residents, with many staying in hostels, camps, or hotels, while others have moved to transitional housing.
