Hong Kong’s police and anti-corruption agency have charged seven individuals and two companies with 25 offences, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion in connection with the city’s most deadly blaze in recent history.The defendants appeared at West Kowloon Court on Wednesday to face charges brought by police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the first laid against those deemed responsible for the fire that broke out at Wang Fuk Court in November last year.The seven individuals held various roles in the major renovation of Wang Fuk Court. They included directors, a registered inspector from the project’s consultancy, and directors of the main contractor.The two companies are the Will Power Architects, the consultant behind the renovation, and Prestige Construction and Engineering, the main contractor.As part of charges involving manslaughter, the court for the first time revealed the full list of the names of the 168 people killed in the blaze.Hau Wah-kin, a director of the contractor behind the HK$336 million (US$42.9 million) renovation project at the Tai Po housing estate, was released on bail after being charged with conspiracy to defraud. His bail was set at HK$500,000.