Video of workers smoking on scaffolding resurfaces as Hong Kong Tai Po fire death toll rises to 128

HONG KONG: A video showing workers smoking on bamboo scaffolding at Tai Po’s Kwong Fuk Yuen has resurfaced online, with netizens noting that similar clips were shared even before the devastating blaze that has now claimed at least 128 lives and injured many others.

Netizens: footage circulated before the tragedy

The viral video shows a maintenance worker crouched on bamboo scaffolding and smoking behind green safety netting.

A woman filming him shouts, “Ah Sing, you’re smoking again?” prompting him to turn around in shock.

Several netizens commented that videos of workers smoking during the estate’s exterior repair works had been circulating well before the fire, raising questions about long-standing safety lapses.

Residents say smoking on scaffolding was common

Multiple residents wrote that they had frequently seen workers smoking while working on the exterior.

One resident, Mr Tang, confirmed in a radio interview that he had personally witnessed such behaviour.

Photos and videos shared in neighbourhood groups also depict similar incidents, with some high-floor residents saying smoke drifted into their homes.

Site had a no-smoking rule; prior complaints documented

Project briefings reportedly emphasised a no-smoking policy at key work zones to prevent fire risks from improperly discarded cigarette butts.

Minutes from a Kwong Fuk Yuen Management Committee meeting on 5 August 2024 show that the estate office had received complaints about workers smoking during construction.

Contractors were alerted and instructed to rectify the issue — but subsequent meeting records do not detail any further action.

Blaze erupted rapidly, overwhelming buildings

The fire was first reported at 14:51 on Wednesday, 26 November, and rapidly escalated into a massive blaze.

It engulfed seven of the estate’s eight residential towers, sending dark smoke billowing across the Tai Po skyline.

Initial footage shared on social media showed the bamboo scaffolding and green mesh sheeting outside several flats bursting into flames within minutes.

Sections of burning mesh and debris rained to the ground as fire tore through the buildings.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control on Thursday, but rescue operations remain ongoing. Fifty-six people remain in hospital as of Friday afternoon.

Criminal and corruption investigations expand

On Thursday, Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has confirmed the arrest of two directors from Will Power Architects Company, the consultant firm overseeing the HK$330 million renovation project at Wang Fuk Court.

These arrests bring the total number of people detained in connection with the fire to five.

Police arrested three senior staff members from Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited, the contractor responsible for renovation works. The group includes two directors and a consultant, all of whom face manslaughter charges.

Authorities allege that the contractor used non-compliant materials, including highly flammable styrofoam and inadequate netting, which contributed to the scale and speed of the disaster.