Singapore takes stock of lessons from Hong Kongs Tai Po blaze
Singapore has begun reviewing early findings from the investigation into Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po high-rise blaze, with ministers signalling that lessons from the tragedy could feed into tighter rules on construction and maintenance works in the city state. Lawmakers said in parliament on Monday that observations made by Hong Kong authorities about the fire…
Lawmakers said in parliament on Monday that observations made by Hong Kong authorities about the fire at Wang Fuk Court would be studied and, where relevant, incorporated into Singapore’s legislation and policy framework.
The blaze, which broke out on November 26 in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, killed 161 people, injured 79 and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming described the incident as a “grim example” of why Singapore could not afford to be complacent about fire safety.
There had been a slight increase in residential building fires over the past five years, he said. There were 1,051 such incidents in Singapore last year, an increase from 968 cases in 2024.
Goh noted that despite the increase, the percentage of fires vis-a-vis total dwelling stock had fallen from 0.067 per cent in 2021 to 0.065 per cent in 2025.
