Hong Kong authorities spend HK$34 million on Tai Po fire recovery works

Hong Kong housing authorities have spent HK$34 million (US$4.3 million) on recovery efforts following the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court, including removing damaged scaffolding, conducting structural assessments and strengthening works.The Housing Bureau said on Thursday evening that the HK$34 million expenditure was the main reason for the 22.1 per cent increase in the revised building control expense estimate for the 2025–26 financial year, compared with the original figure.“This is mainly due to the expenditure on follow-up works related to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which is around HK$34 million,” the bureau said in its reply to a written question on the government budget filed by lawmaker Chan Chun-ying.“The expenditure items mainly cover the removal of dangerous scaffolding and nets from the buildings, assisting police and other government departments in clearing debris around the buildings to facilitate evidence collection, carrying out structural assessments, and strengthening and fencing off works for the buildings affected by the fire.”The building control expenditure is intended to support the work of the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Housing, which oversees building control for subsidised sale flats, among other duties.The expenditure mainly covered removal of dangerous scaffolding and nets, according to authorities. Photo: Jelly TseThe ICU has faced criticism for failing to effectively supervise renovation works at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The estate was engulfed by flames last November, killing 168 people.