Police weigh release of Tai Po fire victim list amid estate handover

Police are reportedly considering publishing the list of victims who were killed in the Tai Po fire last year.

The decision will only be made with the consent of the victims’ families, with officers contacting families one by one before publishing the list.

The No 5 alarm fire which broke out at Wang Fuk Court on November 26 last year left at least 161 people dead and 79 injured. 
Police said in late December that as DNA testing is ongoing, the death toll could increase further.

Separately, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen yesterday said that Hop On Management Company, the new property manager of Wang Fuk Court, must register with the Land Registry and complete the handover as soon as possible.

She reiterated that professional involvement is necessary because the affairs of the owners’ corporation are very complex. Any use of corporation funds or handling of contracts must be approved by a general meeting of owners and will absolutely not deprive owners of their rights.

Meanwhile, Aaron Bok Kwok-ming, an incoming lawmaker representing the engineering sector, said that based on assessments of the current options, off-site reconstruction appears more feasible and would take less time.