Heavier penalties urged as on-the-job deaths in Hong Kong rise 55% to 118
Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims urges criminal prosecution for manslaughter to send out more effective warning
The number of deaths from workplace accidents in Hong Kong rose to a record 118 this year, including 16 killed in the deadly Tai Po fire, with a union calling for full transparency in investigation reports and heavier penalties on those found liable.
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims on Tuesday revealed that the 118 deaths stemmed from 102 accidents in 2025 across various industries, including sectors in construction, logistics and transport.
Ten domestic helpers, five construction workers and a firefighter were among the victims of the Tai Po blaze, which broke out on November 26 at Wang Fuk Court, killing at least 161 people.
Fay Siu Sin-man, the association’s chief executive, said the number of deaths from accidents in the workplace had risen by 55 per cent, up from 78 last year.
Siu noted that the penalties imposed on employers were too lenient, citing a recent case in which an employer convicted over a worker’s fatal fall from scaffolding was allowed to pay a fine of HK$160,000 (US$20,565) in 90 instalments, roughly HK$2,000 a month.
She said the penalty was far from adequate. “It is meaningless. We believe such punishment does not have a deterrent effect,” she said.