Two Companies and Seven Individuals Charged in Hong Kong Fire Case

Hong Kong. Charges have been filed against two companies and seven individuals in the case related to the devastating fire incident at the Wang Fu Court residential complex in Hong Kong last November.

Hong Kong authorities have filed 25 charges against them, including murder, conspiracy to defraud, attempting to pervert the course of justice, and tax evasion. 168 people died in the fire. This incident is considered the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in over 70 years.

According to authorities, charges have been filed against the consulting company involved in the project, the main construction contractor company, and some individuals involved in the renovation work.

The accused include directors of both companies and an official inspector from the consulting company. However, authorities have not yet disclosed the names of the companies and individuals. Some time after the fire, Hong Kong's anti-corruption body arrested two directors of the building's structural engineering consulting company, Will Power Architect.

Subsequently, by March of this year, the police had arrested 38 more people on charges of murder and fraud. In a separate investigation, the anti-corruption body also arrested 23 people, including consultants, contractors, and members of the residential complex's ownership committee.

Authorities have stated that a detailed investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire, the safety standards adopted during the building renovation, and potential irregularities.