Suspected of False Reporting of Participation in the Free Special Ride Service of the Tai Po Fire, Five Taxi Drivers Have Been Arrested

2025-12-30 18:38 Last Updated At：18:42

Five male taxi drivers, aged between 29 and 40, were arrested by the police on December 29th on suspicion of their false reporting of participation in the free special ride service of the Tai Po fire organized by the online taxi-hailing platform company. Suspected of forging driving records in an attempt to defraud the platform company of fare expenses, the five drivers were granted bail and would report to the police in late January.

A call was received by the police from the platform company earlier, stating that it launched a "free special ride service" to carry passengers traveling between three designated hospitals and seven designated temporary shelter centers for free during the Tai Po fire, and allowed the participating taxi drivers to upload relevant receipts for expense reimbursement. Nevertheless, when the platform verified the reimbursement materials, it found 7 suspicious driving records, with a total amount of approximately 3,000 HKD for the reimbursement application. Luckily, the platform did not suffer any losses during the case.

The Funeral with Full Honours for the Sacrificed Fireman Ho Wai-ho in the Tai Po Fire

On December 19, an official funeral with full honours was held by the Fire Services Department (FSD) for the sacrificed fireman, Mr. Ho Wai-ho, in the Tai Po fire.

The official ceremony was first held at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom. Near the parlour, a condolence area was set up for members of the public to pay their respects in memory of Mr. Ho from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. At the site, many citizens have laid flowers to pay their respects to the heroic sacrifice of Mr. Ho. Some even couldn't hold back their tears after laying flowers. In their eyes, Mr. Ho's dedication to saving others, even at the cost of his own life in the fire, has left an indelible mark on the community.

Mr. Chung, one of the mourners placing flowers, said that Hong Kong had lost a very great person. He hoped Mr Ho Wai-ho would know that the people of Hong Kong would never forget him as a brave hero. As for Mr. Yiu, another citizen came to the condolence area to grieve for Mr. Ho, he believed that December 19 would be a heart-wrenching day for all Hong Kong people, as they had lost such an outstanding fireman.

At 10:00 a.m., the funeral, attended by government officials, community dignitaries, and FSD colleagues, was held. Mr. John Lee, the Chief Executive, Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the former Chief Executive, Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Financial Secretary and other related personnel have attended.

The hearse, carrying the coffin of Mr. Ho, left the funeral parlour at 10:30 a.m. after the official ceremony. Mr. John Lee led government officials and firemen to line up outside the parlour to pay their final tribute to Mr. Ho.

Passing through Tai Wo Road, Po Heung Street, Kwong Fuk Road, Tai Po Road - Yuen Chau Tsai, the hearse arrived at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po at about 11:00 a.m. An on-site ceremony was held by FSD colleagues and local dignitaries. Meanwhile, many nearby residents have come spontaneously to bid farewell to Mr. Ho.

Ms. Lau, a resident living near Wang Fuk Court, came together with her son to grieve for Mr. Ho. Her son said that after the Tai Po fire, he regarded firemen as very great people. As for Ms. Lau, she expressed her gratefulness to Mr. Ho, saying that she would always remember him and truly felt that he was a hero to the people of Hong Kong.

Driving away from Wang Fuk Court, the hearse proceeded to Sha Tin Fire Station, where Mr. Ho was stationed before his sacrifice, via Tai Po Road, Sha Tin Rural Committee Road and Yuen Wo Road and arrived at around 11: 30 a.m. There, Mr. Andy Yeung, the Director of Fire Services, led a group of firemen to line up outside the fire station to pay their final respects to Mr. Ho.

Outside the fire station, many residents also gathered to bid farewell to Mr. Ho. Among them, Ms. Chan, whose son had also attended the rescue of the Tai Po fire, expressed her grief for the loss of Mr. Ho. She said that, during the rescue period, her son had lost over 30 pounds since he had to carry corpses and control his own emotions simultaneously. In her eyes, firemen had indeed put so much effort into helping Hong Kong people overcome the difficulties of the fire. She hoped that, in the future, some professionals could provide emotional support to the firemen who were once on the front line of rescue and help them to heal from the suffering. "My son told me that he finally realized the meaning of death after attending the fire rescue." Ms. Chan said.

Finally, the hearse arrived at Gallant Garden at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery for the burial of Mr. Ho's coffin by 1:00 p.m. On the site, his fellow firemen, families, fiancée, and even his pet dog, all paid homage to his sacrifice and hoped he could rest in peace at Gallant Garden.

Suspected of False Reporting of Participation in the Free Special Ride Service of the Tai Po Fire, Five Taxi Drivers Have Been Arrested

HK

Suspected of False Reporting of Participation in the Free Special Ride Service of the Tai Po Fire, Five Taxi Drivers Have Been Arrested

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