H.K. Authorities Order Closure of Volunteer Supply Station Near Apartment Fire Site, Wary of Resurgence of Protests

By Nobuha Endo and Miho Tamura / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondents

17:08 JST, November 30, 2025

HONG KONG — A volunteer-run relief supply station set up near the site of a high-rise apartment fire in Hong Kong was removed on Saturday following instructions from H.K. authorities.

Some volunteers running the makeshift supply station had previously participated in protests demanding democratization of the city, and both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, which have worked to suppress pro-democracy forces, are wary of protests reigniting in the wake of the fire.

At a square near the site of the fire, residents carrying relief supplies such as food and blankets started gathering shortly after the fire broke out and provided them free of charge to people affected by the disaster. However, at about 5 a.m. on Saturday, police suddenly ordered the station be removed.

A 19-year-old male high school student who was volunteering expressed anger, saying: “They didn’t give any reason. I can’t accept this.” Another man said he was told by the police that providing supplies constituted an “unauthorized gathering.”

In 2014, students and others occupied roads in Hong Kong, demanding democratization in what is known as the Umbrella Movement. In 2019, large-scale anti-government protests occurred. A woman in her 30s who participated in the 2014 movement was among the volunteers at the supply station.

The online edition of Ta Kung Pao, a Chinese-language Hong Kong newspaper, reported on Saturday that “the heartful support efforts have been infiltrated by remnants of the pro-democracy movement,” noting it was being closely observed by Hong Kong police.

On Saturday, the Hong Kong national security agency claimed that forces behind the 2019 protests were exploiting the apartment fire to incite resentment against the Hong Kong government. It warned, “Those who attempt to exploit the disaster to sow chaos in Hong Kong will be held accountable and severely punished under the national security law.”

The agency, a branch of China’s security authorities, was established in Hong Kong under the national security law that was put into force in 2020 to crack down on anti-government activities.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government on Saturday announced measures, including deferring mortgage repayments for affected residents and providing 200,000 Hong Kong dollars (about ¥4 million) in condolence payments to the families of the deceased foreign domestic housekeepers. Authorities have also detained three executives from a contractor company on suspicion of manslaughter and gross negligence over repair work being carried out at the apartment building before the fire. Suspicions over corruption surrounding repair costs have emerged as well, leading to the detention of eight individuals, including those involved in the repairs.

Hong Kong authorities announced on Saturday afternoon that 128 people had been confirmed to have died and 83 were injured in the blaze. The authorities said, as of Saturday afternoon, had been unable to contact about 150 people. For about 100 people among them, there is no accurate information on whether they were residing or staying in the building when the fire broke out.