Hong Kong charges 7 people and 2 firms over 168-person fire

Hong Kong authorities have formally charged seven individuals and two companies with manslaughter and a range of other offenses in connection with a catastrophic fire at a public housing estate last year that killed 168 people. The charges, announced on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, represent the first legal action against those deemed responsible for the November 26, 2025, blaze at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district, the city's deadliest fire in decades.

The defendants appeared at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building to face a total of 25 charges, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion. The two companies charged are Prestige Construction and Engineering, the main contractor for a HK$330 million renovation project at the estate, and Will Power Architects, the consultancy firm overseeing the government-mandated work. Among the seven individuals charged are directors from both firms and a registered inspector from Will Power Architects.

Senior Superintendent Basil Tang of the New Territories North Regional Crime Unit stated that the firms and individuals responsible for the renovation...