Overview
- The International Astronomical Union approved the formal name 34871 Howaiho in June 2026 after discoverer William Yeung proposed it as a tribute to firefighter Ho Wai-ho.
- Ho, 37, died while rescuing residents during the 43-hour blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po in November 2025 that killed 168 people and displaced about 5,000 residents.
- The asteroid was discovered in 2001 by Hong Kong–born astronomer William Yeung and is estimated to be about 2–4 kilometres wide, orbits the Sun every four years, and is too faint to see without specialist equipment.
- Yeung told Ho’s fiancée, Kiki, about the decision and she posted that the asteroid will serve as a protective, permanent memorial for Ho and his family.
- Hong Kong authorities have described the fire as caused by a construction firm’s gross negligence and courts have charged people and firms over the building’s renovation, a legal process that may affect accountability and safety reforms.