Fire Safety Crisis in Hong Kong: Mesh on Apartments Fails Standards Amid Rising Death Toll

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Some of the exterior netting used on scaffolding at a Hong Kong residential complex did not meet fire-resistance standards, officials said Monday, after a destructive blaze there killed at least 151 people.

Tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the blaze did not match fire retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a news conference.

Contractors working on the renovations used these substandard materials in hard-to-reach areas, effectively hiding them from inspectors, said Hong Kong’s chief secretary for administration, Eric Chan.

Authorities have revealed that the foam insulation used by builders significantly contributed to the fire’s intensity, and that the fire alarms in the building complex were malfunctioning.

A significant number of individuals remain unaccounted for following the incident.

Police spokeswoman Tsang Shuk-yin told a news conference on Monday afternoon (local time) that the confirmed death toll had climbed from 146 to 151.

Police have searched four out of the seven towers that were consumed by flames during the calamity at Wang Fuk Court estate on Wednesday. They discovered the bodies of residents who were caught in stairways and on rooftops as they attempted to escape the inferno.

Authorities said they had detained 13 people for suspected manslaughter in a probe into the fire, pointing to substandard renovation materials for fuelling the blaze.

In response to growing public outrage over ignored fire safety warnings and evidence of hazardous building practices, Beijing has issued a warning against any “anti-China” demonstrations.

Firefighters battled the blaze into the night after it ignited on Wednesday afternoon, working tirelessly to suppress it. Source: AP / Chan Long Hei

Thousands have turned out to pay tribute to the victims, who include at least nine domestic helpers from Indonesia and one from the Philippines, with lines of mourners stretching more than a kilometre along a canal next to the estate.

Vigils are also due to take place this week in Tokyo, London and Taipei, authorities said.

Amid pockets of public anger over missed fire risk warnings and evidence of unsafe construction practices, Beijing has warned it would crack down on any “anti-China” protests.

People on the ground looking up and watching as a building is engulfed in flames.

Firefighters worked through the night to bring the blaze under control after it erupted on Wednesday afternoon. Source: AP / Chan Long Hei

At least one person involved in a petition calling for an independent probe among other demands was detained for around two days, sources familiar with the matter said.

Police have declined to comment on specifics, saying only that they will take action in accordance with the law.

Search may continue for weeks

The remaining buildings to be scoured for remains are “the difficult ones”, Amy Lam, a senior police official, told reporters on Sunday, adding that the final leg of the search may take weeks.

Images shared by police showed officers clad in hazmat suits, face masks and helmets, inspecting rooms with blackened walls and furniture reduced to ashes, and wading through water used to douse fires that raged for days.

Throngs of officers arrived at the site early on Monday morning to continue their search of the burnt-out buildings.

A group of people sitting on plastic chairs.

Hundreds of people have been moved from evacuation shelters to temporary accommodation. Source: SIPA USA / Vernon Yuen

The apartment blocks were home to more than 4,000 people, according to census data, and those that escaped must now try to get their lives back on track.

More than 1,100 people have been moved out of evacuation centres into temporary housing, with a further 680 put up in youth hostels and hotels, authorities said.

With many residents leaving behind belongings as they fled, authorities have offered emergency funds of HK$10,000 (AU$1980) to each household and provided special assistance for issuing new identity cards, passports and marriage certificates.

Residents had expressed safety concerns

Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced “relatively low fire risks” after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said.

The residents raised concerns in September, 2024, including about the potential flammability of the mesh contractors used to cover the scaffolding, a department spokesperson said.

A man wearing a blue jumper and carrying a white tote bag looks on as hoses from firetrucks douse a building complex.

The fire is Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades. Source: AAP / Nexpher Images/Sipa USA/Vernon Yuen

Jane Poon, a former Hong Kong resident who now lives in Australia, told SBS Cantonese last week that people from her community regularly passed by the Wang Fuk Court housing complex.

“Watching the estate like this is heartbreaking, and we’re incredibly worried for the residents. Here in Australia, we feel helpless and anxious,” she said.

“Everyone is asking how this could happen in such a developed society. A construction site should have rigorous fire safety protocols.”

She called for accountability, and said she and her community would continue to closely monitor developments.

“I know all Hong Kongers, both here and abroad, are deeply anxious.”