Structural reinforcement underway at Wang Fuk Court to support expanded search efforts

Recovery efforts at Wang Fuk Court advanced this morning as construction vehicles arrived to carry out structural reinforcement amid the charred, peeling facade left behind by the tragic blaze.

The operation follows Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming’s announcement on Tuesday that investigations inside the buildings will enter their third phase. Scaffolding and safety netting will be removed once engineers confirm the structures are stable, allowing search teams to proceed deeper into affected areas.

Concrete mixers and crane trucks were seen arriving at around 9am, continuing stabilization work that earlier involved hoisting steel plates and other construction materials into the damaged units.

As scaffolding is gradually removed, the fire-blackened exterior walls and shattered windows have been laid bare—an unflinching reminder of the inferno that engulfed the residential block two weeks ago.

As of Tuesday, the devastating fire has claimed at least 160 lives, with six people still unaccounted for.