Hong Kong plans to overhaul building-renovation controls after the Wang Fuk Court fire inquiry called for 120 changes.
The report was released on 29 October, a week after it was submitted to the government. Sections remain redacted to protect ongoing criminal prosecutions.
The November 2025 fire killed 168 people. It spread through seven residential towers undergoing renovation, with scaffold and dust netting covering their exteriors.
According to the government’s summary, the inquiry identified the suspected replacement of fire-retardant scaffold netting with non-fire-retardant material, combustible foam boards and openings made in escape staircases as factors in the disaster.
Regulatory overhaul
The government plans to restructure oversight, centralise building-works data and change how complaints are handled. It also intends to legislate against bid-rigging and establish a Building Maintenance Support & Services Council.
A steering committee led by the Chief Secretary will oversee the recommendations and proposed changes to six pieces of legislation. These are announced reforms, rather than a completed set of new rules.
Reuters reported that the inquiry heard from 80 witnesses over 30 hearings and examined more than one million files and submissions. Witnesses included residents, renovation personnel, engineers, fire experts and regulators.
Scaffmag reported the submission of the inquiry’s findings on 22 October, when they had yet to be made public.
The redacted report is now available in two volumes. The government says it will release the full version once the relevant criminal proceedings have concluded.
