Name: Hong Kong orders scaffolding nets removed after Wang Fuk Court fire
Uploaded: 2025-12-04T20:37:21.491Z
Duration: 1 min 47 s
Description: Hong Kong authorities have ordered the removal of all scaffolding nets from buildings under renovation after last week’s Wang Fuk Court fire. The move will halt construction citywide as officials tighten safety standards and investigate the blaze.

Hong Kong authorities have ordered the removal of all scaffolding nets from buildings under renovation after last week’s Wang Fuk Court fire. The move will halt construction citywide as officials tighten safety standards and investigate the blaze.

Kowloon

Hong Kong authorities have ordered the removal of mesh netting from all buildings under renovation after it was linked to fueling a deadly fire at the Wang Fook Court apartment complex. The government has set a deadline for the removal and will halt renewal work citywide until safety inspections are completed. 

More than 200 private buildings and over 10 public housing and government buildings are affected, with contractors responsible for the costs. A new code of practice will soon require on-site testing and certification of scaffold net materials, following findings that substandard materials and non-functioning fire alarms contributed to the fire, which resulted in over 150 fatalities.

Hong Kong orders scaffolding nets removed after Wang Fuk Court fire

Hong Kong authorities on Thursday ordered the removal of mesh netting from all buildings under renovation. That's after the material was blamed for fueling the blaze that consumed the Wang Fook Court apartment buildings last week. The government mandated the immediate removal of scaffolding nets on all public and private residential buildings by Saturday to, quote, protect public safety and put residents' and businesses' minds at ease. Renewal work across the city will effectively halt while inspectors verify that netting meets safety standards. C.K. Lau, an 82-year-old retiree living in one city housing estate, said removing the nets reduced the chance of a similar disaster. Because of the incident, there should be possibility to get fire. So if they take it down, there's less chance to get the same kind of accident. The residents will feel better if they agree to take it down. So they agree to take it down within this week. Hong Kong Development Secretary Bernadette Lin said on Wednesday that more than 200 private buildings and over 10 public housing and government buildings will have to remove the netting, with contractors bearing the costs. The city's building department aims to issue a new code of practice next week, requiring all scaffold net materials to be tested on site. Nets will only be installed after certification by designated laboratories. Authorities said substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used during Wang Fook Court's renovation likely fueled the 40-hour inferno, while fire alarms were also not operating properly. Of more than 150 bodies recovered, authorities say 140 had been identified as of Thursday afternoon.

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