HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Friday that a special task force has been set up to launch a full-scale investigation into suspected corruption tied to a major renovation project at fire-hit Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.

The anti-graft body announced that it arrested eight individuals in sequence on the day.

The arrestees, aged between 40 and 63, are seven men and one woman. Among them are four individuals from the consulting firm of the grand renovation project of Wang Fuk Court, namely two directors and two project managers responsible for supervising the project. Three others are scaffolding subcontractors, including a couple who are the proprietors of a company, while the remaining arrestee is a middleman.

Search warrants were executed by ICAC officers at 13 premises on Friday, including the offices of the consulting firm and the subcontractors, as well as the residences of the arrestees. Relevant works documents and bank records were seized.

The investigation is ongoing and all arrestees are being detained by the ICAC for further enquiries.