Thirteen households from the Hong Kong estate devastated by the inferno in Tai Po remain uncontactable more than 10 days on from the blaze, with the city’s labour and welfare chief not ruling out that all may have died in the fire. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the Wang Fuk Court…
The fire that tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po and killed at least 159 may have started on scaffolding between the first and second floors of one of the blocks, according to preliminary investigations by Hong Kong fire services. The city’s fire services director also said a life-size replica of…
A project offering counselling to teenagers with depression and anxiety in Hong Kong will be expanded next year to reach more students, after about half of those it has helped showed no further signs of mental health problems, according to a local charity. Mind HK, the charity running the three-year initiative, also offers psychological support…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. On Sunday, Hongkongers head to polling stations to elect their new representatives in the legislature amid a sombre atmosphere, with the city dealing…
More than a week after an inferno ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po, one mother is agonisingly waiting to learn whether her daughter is among the 159 victims. The woman, surnamed Ng, said on Saturday that she feared she had lost her daughter after two bodies were found in a rented flat…
Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong has met representatives from foreign media outlets in the city and warned them against crossing “red lines”, following reports it said smeared the government’s fire relief efforts and attacked the Legislative Council election. According to sources, foreign media outlets that were requested to attend the meeting included Agence…
Fire safety risks still persist on construction sites across Hong Kong following the deadly blaze in Tai Po, the industry watchdog has warned, after a scaffolding worker in a major subsidised estate was sacked for smoking. Thomas Ho On-sing, chairman of the Construction Industry Council, on Saturday criticised the industry for failing to “learn a…
From shoes, apparel and daily necessities to food, logistics services and even university sponsorships for two orphans, donors from all walks of life have come together to support survivors of the Tai Po fire, Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades. Beyond the HK$3 billion (US$385 million) raised from the private sector and the government as of…
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has been put out, but the sight of the charred remains of Wang Fuk Court’s housing blocks still conjures up painful emotions and all too vivid memories for many people in the surrounding neighbourhood. The fire started on Wednesday last week, raging for 43 hours and engulfing seven of…
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has suspended the operation of its student union after removing messages from campus that demanded justice for victims of the Tai Po fire, days after police made arrests for alleged sedition in connection with the blaze. According to the union, they were informed by the university on Thursday night that…