Hong Kong’s Buildings Department files 259 charges against four individuals and two companies over renovation works at Wang Fuk Court before and during a fatal fire last year. The charges relate to allegedly using defective or substandard materials and failing to provide adequate supervision of repair and related works, according to the department.
Both outlets report that the investigations conclude non-compliant materials were used at the site. The South China Morning Post adds that some of the alleged issues involve materials that are not fire-retardant, alongside alleged breaches of statutory safety obligations under the Buildings Ordinance. Hong Kong Free Press similarly describes the charges as covering authorising or permitting substandard materials and supervisory failures tied to the renovation work.
The two reports differ mainly in emphasis and phrasing, but they converge on the same outcome: the department brings a large set of prosecutions months after the fire and names the same categories of defendants—two companies and four individuals—linked to oversight of the works.
