Hong Kong files 25 charges over fire that killed 168 people
What's next: Three men were denied bail, and the case was adjourned to Sept. 2 as investigators pursue fraud and corruption claims.
Hong Kong authorities filed their first criminal charges over last November’s fire at the Wang Fuk housing complex, accusing two companies and seven people in a case tied to 168 deaths. The 25 counts include manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion. Will Power Architects, Prestige Construction and Engineering, and executives including Ho Kin-yip, Wong Hap-yin and Ng Yeuk were among those charged. An inquiry found major fire-safety failures during renovation work, including deactivated alarms in seven of eight residential blocks and windows covered with flammable foam boards. The blaze was the city’s deadliest in more than 70 years.