Photo Illustration 731; Getty (3)
Explainer
How Hong Kong’s Billion-Dollar Renovation Boom Opened the Door to Corruption
A deadly blaze at a Hong Kong housing estate has cast an unforgiving spotlight on the lucrative building repair industry that exposes the city’s homeowners to abuse.
A devastating fire that ripped through a Hong Kong housing estate, killing 161 people, has highlighted abuse in the city’s building renovation industry — a billion-dollar goldmine long plagued by allegations of corruption.
Residents who gazed up helplessly as flames engulfed seven of Wang Fuk Court’s eight apartment towers later heard from Hong Kong’s leader, Chief Executive John Lee, that the Nov. 26 fire had exposed serious problems in the building works industry, including alleged bid-rigging and collusion.