Hong Kong Authorities Charge Two Companies, Seven Individuals Over Wang Fuk Complex Fire Deaths

Hong Kong authorities have brought a total of 25 charges against two companies and seven individuals in connection with the catastrophic November fire at the Wang Fuk housing complex. The charges include manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion.

The inferno claimed 168 lives, marking it as the deadliest fire to occur in the city for more than seven decades. The accused include a project consultancy firm, the main contractor, the directors of both companies, and the registered inspector at the consultancy. The names of the entities and individuals charged have not been publicly released.

Following the blaze last year, Hong Kong's anti-corruption watchdog apprehended two directors from Will Power Architects, a structural engineering consultancy for the development. By March of the current year, police reported 38 arrests on suspicion of manslaughter and fraud. Separately, the anti-graft body detained 23 individuals, among them consultants, contractors, and members of the complex's owners' corporation. Earlier reports had identified Prestige Construction and Engineering Company as the registered contractor for the renovations.