2 months ago
2
An autarkic committee investigating the origin of Hong Kong's deadliest occurrence successful decades connected Thursday (March 19, 2026) heard that a bid of failures contributed to the blaze, which burnt 7 buildings and killed 168 people, arsenic it opened its archetypal proceeding connected the evidence.
Former residents and relatives of the dormant person been waiting for answers since November 2025, erstwhile the fire shattered the close-knit community of Wang Fuk Court, which housed thousands of radical successful the suburban territory of Tai Po.
In his opening remarks, the committee's pb lawyer Victor Dawes said the fire is suspected to person started astatine a level successful a airy good extracurricular 2 low-level units, noting that cigaret butts were recovered determination and connected scaffolding.
Mr. Dawes said the grounds showed that aggregate factors came unneurotic to nutrient the disaster, ranging from occurrence alarms and hose systems being unopen disconnected to the usage of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting and covering windows with foam boards.
“On the time of the fire, astir each occurrence information systems meant to support lives failed due to the fact that of quality factors,” helium said. The occurrence broke retired connected November 26, 2025 and rapidly engulfed 7 of the flat complex's 8 buildings. A fig of radical person been arrested connected suspicion of manslaughter, fraud oregon corruption.
The judge-led committee, acceptable up successful December, volition besides analyse if systemic problems specified arsenic bid-rigging existed successful large-scale gathering attraction and renovation works. The authorities said astatine the clip that the committee's enactment was expected to instrumentality 9 months.
After listening to the opening remarks from lawyers, the committee volition perceive oral grounds from witnesses, including Wang Fuk Court residents. Various authorities departments are progressive successful hearings.
Before the hearing, Phyllis Lo, who mislaid her parent successful the fire, said she hopes to perceive to the findings from antithetic sides to get a broad knowing of the incident. Another nonmigratory Seneca Lee said she wanted to cognize what caused the occurrence dispersed done truthful galore buildings and killed truthful galore people.
Many erstwhile occupants of the flat analyzable are surviving successful impermanent lodging scattered crossed the city. Hong Kong officials past period projected to bargain backmost the homeownership rights from the occurrence victims, citing results from a survey of residents' preferences. But that dashed the hopes of immoderate who privation to rebuild their homes astatine the site.
Hong Kong person John Lee connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026) said the authorities is moving connected plans to let the affected residents to sojourn their apartments and retrieve immoderate of their belongings successful April.
