Hong Kong authorities confirmed Tuesday that the death toll from November’s catastrophic Tai Po residential fire has reached 160 victims following advanced DNA analysis of recovered remains. The devastating blaze at Wang Fuk Court continues to haunt the community as six individuals remain unaccounted for nearly two weeks after the tragedy.
Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming disclosed during an afternoon press briefing that forensic experts had positively identified previously discovered remains as belonging to two additional victims—an elderly female resident and a domestic worker. Both victims’ families, currently residing in Hong Kong, provided genetic material that enabled the conclusive identifications.
The painstaking recovery operation has entered a new phase as authorities collaborate with the Housing Department to remove all compromised bamboo scaffolding that collapsed during the inferno. Commissioner Chow noted that during this delicate process, workers discovered skeletal fragments requiring further laboratory examination to determine their origin—whether human, animal, or previously cataloged remains.
Meanwhile, the Fire Services Department completed draining water from all seven affected structures, revealing no additional human remains. Chief Superintendent Tsang Shuk-yin, overseeing casualty investigations, provided updated statistics: twelve individuals initially reported missing have been confirmed safe, four had deceased prior to the fire incident, and six were determined to be non-residents of the complex.
The forensic identification effort has intensified with police collecting DNA samples from 162 family members of potential victims. The Government Laboratory and forensic departments have prioritized these analyses to accelerate identifications and provide closure to grieving families.
In a disturbing development, authorities revealed they have uncovered 21 fraud cases exploiting the tragedy, resulting in two arrests. Additionally, building safety regulators are investigating six suspected cases involving falsified documentation for safety scaffolding nets used during building renovations. The Buildings Department is expected to announce stringent new regulations within days requiring on-site sampling and certification of all scaffold netting before installation.
Multiple residential estates across Hong Kong—including Baguio Villa in Pok Fu Lam, Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan, and several others—are under investigation for potential safety violations. The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit continues extracting concrete core samples from the seven fire-damaged buildings in Wang Fuk Court to assess structural integrity.
As of Tuesday evening, compliance with the Buildings Department’s safety order has resulted in the removal of scaffold nets from 230 private buildings, with two cases completed by government contractors. Concurrently, the Labour Department has intensified inspections of fire protection facilities and emergency preparedness at maintenance sites with extensive scaffolding, issuing 189 written warnings, 101 improvement notices, and initiating 25 prosecutions following inspections of 371 construction sites.