Inspectors Confirm Wang Fuk Court Fully Compliant with 2026 Fire Safety Standards
The committee addressing scaffolding fire risks had already held two productive meetings.
HONG KONG — Following a fire that killed at least 128 residents of the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, officials from Hong Kong's Development Bureau confirmed that the building was fully compliant with fire safety standards scheduled to take effect in 2026.
"We can assure the public that this building would have met every requirement under the updated scaffolding regulations we announced earlier this year," said a bureau spokesperson, noting that the policy to phase out flammable bamboo scaffolding on public projects was proceeding on schedule. "Had this fire occurred 14 months from now, it would have been a quite unfamiliar situation."
The disaster had only strengthened the bureau's commitment to its existing timeline, the spokesperson added.
Fire Services Department officials echoed the sentiment, confirming that the noncompliant mesh netting and styrofoam materials discovered at the site would have been explicitly prohibited under guidelines being drafted by a working group expected to deliver recommendations by mid-2027.
"We identified bamboo scaffolding as a fire risk and took immediate action by forming a committee," said one official, who noted that the committee had already held two meetings and was on track to schedule a third. "The system worked."
Residents who escaped the blaze expressed relief at the news. "It's comforting to know that if my mother had died 14 months from now, it would have been against regulations," said Cheung Wai-keung, 43, who was staying at a temporary shelter with his wife and nothing else.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee, said the government would order inspections for all public housing estates undergoing renovation, with findings expected by early 2026. He urged residents to remain calm and avoid living in buildings until then.
At press time, the Development Bureau had scheduled a press conference to announce an expedited review of the 2026 timeline, with results expected no later than 2028. ■
