China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government and all walks of life, have devoted themselves to disaster relief and recovery after the fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, aiming at ensuring the basic living needs and long-term resettlement of impacted residents.
The relief efforts are underway with the assistance of donations from the mainland.
The fire broke out in Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on Wednesday afternoon. The residential complex consists of eight residential buildings, and the fire spread from one building to seven others.
HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee stated on Thursday at a press conference that the SAR government was drafting a list of supplies and support, hoping to obtain assistance from the mainland.
According to Lee, all SAR government-organized celebratory events will be canceled or postponed to focus on the post-fire recovery.
"I'd like to express my thanks to the working group from the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. They have arrived in Hong Kong to assist us in rescue work. This also shows the central government's care for Hong Kong, and our nation's spirit -- we are always there to help when others are in trouble," Lee said.
The Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee has coordinated with Guangdong Province to provide assistance and support for Hong Kong.
Based on the needs listed by the Hong Kong government, Guangdong Province collected rescue equipment, medical supplies, and consumables, and delivered them to Hong Kong on Thursday evening and Friday morning.
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions immediately activated its emergency response mechanism after the fire.
Together with its affiliated China Workers' Exchange Center and China Worker Development Foundation, it has raised 8 million yuan to support Hong Kong's fire relief and subsequent resettlement work.
The All-China Women's Federation also instructed its affiliated China Women's Development Foundation and China Children and Teenagers' Fund to act immediately.
By working with All-China Women's Federation Hong Kong Delegates Association Limited and caring enterprises, they donated 5 million yuan for emergency relief, transitional resettlement, and post-disaster recovery.
Hong Kong spares no efforts in post-fire relief with mainland support
Hong Kong spare no efforts in post-fire relief with mainland support
The price of aluminum, a key industrial metal used in automotive manufacturing, construction and packaging, has been climbing as production cuts in the Gulf region, logistical constraints and Iranian attacks on two regional producers over the weekend tightened supply.
On March 31, the benchmark London Metal Exchange (LME) three-month price for aluminum rose to 3,535 U.S. dollars per metric ton, a year-on-year increase of around 40 percent.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that they launched missile and drone strikes on aluminum plants in Bahrain and the UAE that are linked to the U.S. military and aerospace industries, in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iranian steel factories.
Emirates Global Aluminium issued a statement saying that its Al Taweela site in the Khalifa Economic Zone in Abu Dhabi was severely damaged after Iranian strikes, with some employees injured.
Aluminum Bahrain confirmed in a statement on Sunday that some of its facilities were struck by Iranian attacks, resulting in injuries to two employees.
The two aluminum plants have a combined annual output of 3.2 million tons, more than half of the approximately 6 million tons of aluminum produced every year by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.
The region is a key source of aluminum supply, accounting for about 9 percent of global production.
Goldman Sachs on Tuesday raised its LME aluminum price forecast from 3,200 U.S. dollars to 3,450 U.S. dollars per ton for the second quarter of 2026 after the attacks on the facilities.
Goldman Sachs also predicted a global primary aluminum market supply deficit of 570,000 tons in 2026, a sharp turnaround from its previous forecast of a 550,000-ton surplus.
Analysts point out that the aluminum market is currently facing multiple shocks, with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz disrupted, aluminum production facilities in the Gulf damaged or even shut down, and production in other parts of the world currently limited.
The impact will also spread to downstream enterprises in the coming months, with higher-cost aluminum alloys, primarily used in the aerospace, automotive, and construction industries, facing the most constrained supply, analysts said.
The Gulf region has long been a significant source of these high-end products, particularly for the European market, and also supplies manufacturers in the United States.
Aluminum prices climb as effects of Middle East tensions spread through global economy
