Members of an independent committee created to investigate Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades inspected the scene of the blaze on Tuesday morning to get a better understanding of the actual environment and conditions at Wang Fuk Court. Judge David Lok Kai-hong, the group’s chairman, was joined by fellow committee members such as Executive Council…
Hong Kong is marking this Christmas and New Year in a subdued mood following last month’s Tai Po fire, which has claimed 161 lives so far. Many large-scale events have been postponed or scaled down, prompting residents and tourists to find quieter ways to celebrate amid a sombre atmosphere. The Post lists the major citywide…
Hong Kong restaurants are looking towards Lunar New Year for a rebound in business after weak sales over the winter solstice weekend, as the city continues to reel from the Tai Po fire tragedy. Restaurant operators said on Monday they hoped business could take off in February around the Lunar New Year holiday. On Sunday,…
A city’s character is not tested on a good day, but in the quiet hours after a disaster, when the smoke settles, sirens fade and residents look at the charred outline of a home that used to anchor an entire life. The Tai Po fire, which engulfed several blocks of subsidised government housing and left…
Annual fundraising drive Operation Santa Claus (OSC) has launched a campaign bringing together charities, donors and community workers to support families affected by last month’s deadly Hong Kong inferno. The joint campaign, co-organised by the Post and public broadcaster RTHK, has launched an emergency appeal to run alongside its annual fundraising drive. The initiative aims…
The body of the Filipino domestic helper who died in Hong Kong’s deadly blaze last month has been repatriated to her home country, with a senior Philippine official hailing her as a heroine. Separately, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen pledged on Sunday to provide long-term support in stages for…
Hong Kong’s home affairs minister has urged landlords against “fishing in troubled waters” by raising rents to pocket government subsidies meant to help displaced residents of the Tai Po fire. The appeal came days after the government announced it would provide affected homeowners of the Wang Fuk Court fire with an annual rental subsidy of…
Hong Kong’s development chief has vowed to tighten building safety laws to punish those exploiting loopholes, warning that authorities will show no leniency towards the construction sector that has come under public scrutiny after the deadly Tai Po fire. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said on Saturday that the government would take over…
The sole lawmaker-elect of the centrist Roundtable party in Hong Kong has said his victory in the recent Legislative Council election could embolden more moderate and outspoken politicians to contest future polls. Mark Chong Ho-fung also called on the government to strengthen oversight to improve public trust, citing two cases: the bottled water scandal and…
One more person has been confirmed dead in Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire, bringing the death toll to 161, the police chief has said, citing results of further forensic analysis. “Further forensic tests found the DNA of another person in one of the bodies, which were identified as belonging to a couple,” Commissioner of Police…