Hong Kong charges seven people, two firms over deadly housing complex fire

Hong Kong authorities have charged two companies and seven individuals over the Wang Fuk housing complex fire that killed 168 people last November, the city's deadliest blaze in more than 70 years.

The 25 charges include manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion.

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The accused include a project consultancy firm, the main renovation contractor, directors of both companies, and the registered inspector at the consultancy.

Authorities have not publicly named those charged, though earlier reports identified Prestige Construction and Engineering Company as the registered contractor, and Hong Kong's anti-graft watchdog had previously arrested two directors of structural engineering consultancy Will Power Architects shortly after the fire.

An independent committee investigating the blaze identified multiple critical failures that turned the fire catastrophic. Alarms in seven of eight residential blocks had been deactivated. Windows were boarded up with flammable foam boards, blocking both escape and ventilation.

Construction workers were also reported to have been discarding lit cigarette butts throughout the site.

"On the day of the fire, nearly all fire safety systems meant to protect lives failed because of human factors," said Victor Dawes, lead lawyer for the inquiry committee, at a public hearing earlier this year.

By March, police had arrested 35 people on manslaughter and fraud allegations. Hong Kong's anti-graft watchdog separately arrested 23 others, including consultants, contractors, and members of the complex's owners' corporation.

Notably, it remains unclear how many of those have since been formally charged or released.

Hong Kong and Beijing authorities warned outlets against spreading what they described as "false information" or content that could "smear" the government response. Just over a week after the fire, Beijing's national security arm in Hong Kong arrested local columnist Wong Kwok-ngon, accusing him of publishing seditious content about the official handling of the tragedy.