Two directors of a contractor linked to the deadly inferno at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court have denied all allegations of bid-rigging, corruption and collusion with consultants, with one saying he was never told the housing estate’s fire safety system had any problems. A district councillor, Peggy Wong Pik-kiu, who has been criticised for her…
The uprooting of numerous trees across Hong Kong during Typhoon Noul last weekend has sparked safety concerns among residents, with an expert warning that restrictive planting methods had left some unable to withstand strong winds. Two government hotlines received a total of 331 reports of fallen trees during the typhoon, which triggered No 8 and…
More than half of homeowners of the fire-hit Wang Fuk Court have signed contracts selling their flats to the government under a buyback plan, the city’s leader John Lee has said. Wang Fuk Court on May 4, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chief Executive Lee said on Monday that 53 per cent of Wang Fuk Court…
The administrator of the fire-hit Hong Kong estate is still settling contracts and gradually issuing refunds to owners after organising tens of thousands of documents, the city’s home affairs minister has said in response to residents’ concerns. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that Hop On Management Company, the…
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has called on lawmakers to better support the city’s leader, enhance governance, inject new momentum into local development and address residents’ needs. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, made the call as he met 88 legislators on Friday at a seminar during their…
Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has revised its tender clauses to require bidders make a statutory declaration they have not engaged in collusion on a project, as part of a wider move to criminalise bid-rigging following the city’s deadliest fire in decades. Senior Counsel Jat Sew-tong, chairman of the Competition Commission, also said on Thursday the…
Hong Kong authorities have issued nine fixed-penalty tickets and 110 warnings to contractors since launching a citywide construction site smoking ban last Friday, according to the labour commissioner. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Monday that authorities had inspected more than 200 construction sites since the ban took effect, adding that officers would…
Hong Kong’s development minister has vowed to tighten monitoring of contractors and explore harsher penalties for industry misconduct following criticisms that the government’s reliance on their self-supervision was partly to blame for the deadly Tai Po blaze. But Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also defended the current regulatory system, stressing that violations were penalised. “The monitoring system…
Homeowners of a fire-hit Hong Kong estate who waited months for an extraordinary general meeting have urgent questions regarding compensation and the state of their flats, though its agenda excludes a crucial building examination report. Hop On Management Company, the government-appointed administrator of Wang Fuk Court, arranged the meeting with flat owners on Sunday to…
Tears, anger and exhaustion marked the conclusion of an inquiry into the deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court, as survivors condemned government departments for passing the buck and demanded accountability. Residents have reacted to the conclusion of an inquiry into the deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court with tears of anger…