14 h. ago Hong Kong steps up mental health support for Tai Po fire victims

Hong Kong authorities will step up mental health support for people affected by the Tai Po fire, the city’s deadliest blaze in several decades, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced, with about two-thirds of patients having been discharged from hospitals. Ten days since the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court, Secretary of Health Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that all 79 patients admitted to hospital due to the fire were considered no longer at risk, but noted some expressed feelings of guilt...

Events

15 h. ago Hong Kong’s religious communities unite in prayer to mourn Tai Po fire victims

About 4,000 Muslims from Hong Kong gathered on Friday to pray for and offer condolences to the victims of the Tai Po fire, while other religious groups held prayer meetings to show spiritual support. The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong held a special prayer session at 1.30pm at Kowloon Mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui to pay respect to the victims. The blaze at Wang Fuk Court killed at least 159 people. Among them were nine Indonesian domestic helpers and one Filipino...

Events

18 h. ago Hong Kong Baptist University suspends student union amid fire

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has suspended the operation of its student union after removing messages from campus that mourned victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze and demanded justice. According to the union, they were informed by the university on Thursday night that their operations had been halted until further notice. The university did not specify whether the suspension was linked to the union’s recent posts about the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court on the campus bulletin board it...

Events

21 h. ago Hong Kong developers push for smoking ban at construction sites after deadly fire

Major Hong Kong developers are considering a blanket ban on smoking for workers at all construction sites following the deadly Tai Po blaze that killed 159, with at least two already demanding that all their contractors impose the tough rule or step up penalties. The Real Estate Developers Association (REDA) told the Post on Friday that it was gathering views on the smoking ban from its members, including major developers such as Sino Land, Swire Properties, Sun Hung Kai and New World...

Events

62 h. ago Hong Kong insurers identify 8,700 policies owned by Tai Po fire victims

About 30 Hong Kong-based insurance companies, including AIA and Manulife, have issued 7,600 life insurance and 1,100 property policies to policyholders listed as residing at Wang Fuk Court, according to the Insurance Authority. Insurance Authority CEO Clement Cheung Wan-ching said the authority had set up a special task force, led by senior executives, to urge all insurers to identify policyholders affected by the blaze at Wang Fuk Court last week that killed 159 people, injured 79 and left an...

Events

65 h. ago High drama in Hong Kong as tilting gondola traps 2 workers on luxury tower

Firefighters rescued two workers who were trapped mid-air for over an hour after a gondola suspended from the top of a Hong Kong high-rise luxury tower malfunctioned and tilted sideways. Police said they received a report at 2.50pm from a security guard at The Belcher’s, a residential development near the University of Hong Kong, that two workers were stranded on a gondola attached to Tower 8 of the development. The Belcher’s is a large residential complex on Pok Fu Lam Road with six high-rise...

Events

5 d. ago Scammers using Tai Po fire relief efforts to prey on Hongkongers, police warn

Police have issued warnings for a second day in a row about scammers preying on grieving Hongkongers under the guise of donations and relief efforts, with aid pouring in for victims of Wednesday’s deadly inferno at a Tai Po housing estate. Police said in an online post on Sunday that officers had noticed a fraudulent “Tai Po Wang Fuk Court victims registration form” circulating, warning residents to remain vigilant when providing their personal details. “The force urges residents to stay...

Events

6 d. ago What are the right lessons from Hong Kong’s worst fire in 7 decades?

As Hong Kong mourns the victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze and questions emerge on accountability, experts have called for much tighter supervision of building maintenance and fire safety by authorities to hold relevant parties responsible so that future tragedies can be averted. They gave this assessment as the government set up an interdepartmental task force to probe Wednesday’s fire, including the cause, the reasons it spread so quickly and the factors leading to the heavy casualties. The...

Events

6 d. ago HK$60,000 fire subsidy only for Wang Fuk Court residents: Hong Kong minister

The Hong Kong government’s HK$60,000 (US$7,710) subsidy for victims of the Tai Po fire is only for residents living in Wang Fuk Court, the home affairs minister has clarified amid alleged cases of abuse online. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that authorities had not received any formal abuse reports so far and vowed to look into any that arise in the future. “This subsidy is for those affected residents, households living in the court during the mega...

Events

7 d. ago ‘Hongkongers’ solidarity’: volunteers pick up pieces for Tai Po fire victims

Against the backdrop of the seven charred residential blocks, an open plaza next to Wang Fuk Court has transformed into a bustling relief centre, manned by hundreds of volunteers aiding thousands of displaced residents on the third day since Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades. As large quantities of donated supplies continuously flowed into the area, volunteers – mostly mobilised through social media and chat groups – sorted the items systematically and divided the plaza into different zones...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong developers Emperor and Lai Sun find relief amid debt pressures

Emperor International Holdings has secured bank approval to resume borrowing under existing terms by nearly two years, providing the embattled Hong Kong developer with much-needed breathing room after it failed to meet HK$16.6 billion (US$2.13 billion) in debt obligations in July. Meanwhile, shares of Lai Sun Development (LSD) resumed trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Friday, after the firm said it was negotiating a potential asset sale alongside its parent company, Lai Sun Garment...

Events

8 d. ago Regal Hotels to offer 160 free rooms for 2 weeks to help Tai Po victims

Regal Hotels International will offer free lodging at a dozen of its hotels across Hong Kong to the victims of Wednesday’s Tai Po fire, as it joins other hoteliers and corporate donors in rushing to the aid of the city’s worst blaze in seven decades. The hotel will make 160 rooms freely available to those affected by the Tai Po fire for two weeks, a spokeswoman said, citing instructions from the hotel’s chairwoman Poman Lo. The rooms will be sourced from Regal’s 12 properties across the city,...

Events

8 d. ago Hong Kong developers, hoteliers offer free lodging to Tai Po fire victims

Regal Hotels International will offer free lodging at a dozen of its hotels across Hong Kong to the victims of Wednesday’s Tai Po fire, as it joins other hoteliers and corporate donors in rushing to their aid after the city’s worst blaze in seven decades. The hotel group would make 160 rooms freely available to those affected by the Tai Po fire for two weeks, a spokeswoman said, citing instructions from the hotel’s vice-chairman Poman Lo. The rooms would be sourced from Regal’s 12 properties...

Events

8 d. ago HK finance chief seeks to attract Italian company listings on stock exchange

Hong Kong’s finance chief courted Italian companies on Thursday to go public on the city’s stock exchange, which would allow them to tap into mainland Chinese liquidity and solidify their presence in Asia. Addressing the Trade Development Council’s “Think Business, Think Hong Kong” symposium in Milan, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted the deepening ties between Hong Kong and Italy, noting their shared passion for creativity and enterprise and “flourishing” bilateral trade worth...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong’s finance chief seeks to attract Italian company listings on HKEX

Hong Kong’s finance chief courted Italian companies on Thursday to go public on the city’s stock exchange, which would allow them to tap into mainland Chinese liquidity and solidify their presence in Asia. Addressing the Trade Development Council’s “Think Business, Think Hong Kong” symposium in Milan, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted the deepening ties between Hong Kong and Italy, noting their shared passion for creativity and enterprise and “flourishing” bilateral trade worth...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong developers Sino Group, NWD delay sales amid grief over Tai Po fire

Hong Kong’s developers have postponed property sales scheduled for Friday as the city mourns the deaths of dozens of residents in a devastating fire that broke out in Tai Po. Sino Group and New World Development announced on Thursday that the sale of 150 units at One Park Place in Yau Tong, and 63 units at the Austin Bohemian project in Yau Ma Tei, respectively, would be deferred. Both Sino Group and NWD did not disclose the reason for the postponement or when the sales would be rescheduled. The...

Events

8 d. ago Hong Kong developers Sino Group, NWD delay flat sales amid Tai Po fire grief

Hong Kong developers have postponed property sales scheduled for Friday as the city mourns the deaths of dozens of residents in a devastating fire that broke out in Tai Po. Sino Group and New World Development announced on Thursday that the sale of 150 units at One Park Place in Yau Tong and 63 units at the Austin Bohemian project in Yau Ma Tei, respectively, would be deferred. Both Sino Group and NWD did not disclose the reason for the postponement or when sales would be rescheduled. Meanwhile,...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s HKChat app raises AI expectations as 90,000 join app in debut week

Hong Kong’s first locally developed artificial intelligence chatbot, HKChat, has raised expectations that it could compete with more popular and established AI apps, as it racked up around 90,000 users in the city within a week of its low-key release. HKChat is focused on providing information on local services, including real-time bus arrivals, as well as the city’s weather, laws and regulations. It was the top-ranked free app on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday, according to data from app...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s HKChat raises AI expectations as 90,000 users join app in debut week

Hong Kong’s first locally developed artificial intelligence chatbot, HKChat, has raised expectations that it could compete with more popular and established AI apps, as it racked up around 90,000 users in the city within a week of its low-key release. HKChat is focused on providing information on local services, including real-time bus arrivals, as well as the city’s weather, laws and regulations. It was the top-ranked free app on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday, according to data from app...

Politics

9 d. ago Developing | 36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong housing estate blaze

Developing | 36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong housing estate blaze  South China Morning Post

Events