Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee apologized Thursday for a residential fire that killed 168 people and injured 79. The blaze, which occurred in November 2025 at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the northern Tai Po district, is the deadliest fire in the city since 1948 and the worst human-caused disaster in decades. The fire ripped through seven 31-storey tower blocks, displacing thousands of residents.
Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned Wednesday after an investigation found that her department failed to supervise maintenance work and cited corruption and inadequate regulatory oversight as causes. The resignation follows mounting pressure on the government to hold officials accountable, as many former residents of Wang Fuk Court have spent nearly a year waiting for a resolution.
Chief Executive Lee, who defended the government while announcing the resignation, promised swift and extensive reforms to the city's building industry and regulatory system. A three-month investigation into conduct will follow, alongside proposals to criminalize bid rigging related to the building's US $38 million renovation contract.