HONG KONG — An unbiased committee investigating the reason for Hong Kong’s deadliest fireplace in a long time heard accounts Thursday about how a sequence of failures contributed to the 2025 blaze that engulfed seven buildings and killed 168 folks as hearings within the case obtained underway.
Former residents and relations of the useless have been ready for solutions since November 2025, when the fireplace shattered the close-knit group of Wang Fuk Court docket, which housed 1000’s of individuals within the suburban district of Tai Po.
In his opening remarks, committee lead lawyer Victor Dawes stated the probably explanation for the fireplace was cigarettes that lit different supplies on fireplace on a platform in an air shaft between two low-level items in Wang Cheong Home.
He stated burned paper containers and cigarette butts had been discovered on the platform, indicating folks might have been smoking at locations not designated for smoking in violation of guidelines. On the time of the blaze, the buildings had been present process upkeep and scaffolding had been erected outdoors.
Dawes famous there was no direct proof smoking cigarettes had triggered the blaze.
He stated the proof confirmed that a number of elements got here collectively to supply the catastrophe, from fireplace alarms and hose techniques being shut off to using non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting and masking home windows with foam boards.
Home windows at staircases had been boarded up with wood planks, inflicting plumes of smoke and fireplace to get into residents’ escape routes, he stated.
“On the day of the fireplace, almost all fireplace security techniques meant to guard lives failed due to human elements,” he stated.
Through the listening to, Dawes confirmed the committee CCTV footage, paperwork and information of textual content messages as he laid out his arguments.
He stated the labor division had beforehand acquired complaints about some building employees smoking on the website, with a photograph as proof.
Nevertheless, the division stated the complaints couldn’t be substantiated after its members went to examine and located nobody smoking on the scaffolding. The division forwarded a grievance to the fireplace providers division, which stated that was not a part of its obligation, Dawes stated.
The probe additionally heard proof that the corporate contracted to do the upkeep had used non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting on the advanced, one thing the authorities beforehand had not found, he stated.
Dawes took situation with the housing division notifying the upkeep contractors of its inspection time, and the labor division’s failure to note an outdated fireplace retardancy report.
After the listening to, Yip Ka-kui, who misplaced his spouse within the fireplace, stated a lot of the data he heard Thursday was “explosive.”
“It appears to be a sequence of … masking up for one another,” he stated.
The fireplace broke out on Nov. 26 and shortly engulfed seven of the condominium advanced’s eight buildings.
Dawes stated 37 households misplaced not less than two members of the family within the fireplace. He stated one firefighter who was killed within the blaze might need fallen to his demise when he tried to flee from one of many buildings.
Police have to this point arrested 38 folks on accusations associated to the advanced, together with manslaughter and fraud. 9 have been charged, the police stated. The anti-graft company additionally arrested 23 folks on suspicion of offenses reminiscent of bribery and conspiracy to defraud.
The committee — led by a choose and arrange in December — may even study if systemic issues, reminiscent of bid-rigging, occurred in large-scale constructing upkeep and renovation works. The federal government stated on the time that the committee’s work was anticipated to take 9 months.
After listening to the opening remarks from legal professionals, the committee will hear proof from witnesses, together with Wang Fuk Court docket residents. Varied authorities departments had been concerned within the listening to.
Many former occupants of the condominium advanced live in momentary housing scattered throughout town. Hong Kong officers final month proposed to purchase again the homeownership rights from the fireplace victims, citing outcomes from a survey of residents’ preferences, dashing hopes for many who need to rebuild their houses on the website.
Hong Kong chief John Lee on Tuesday stated the federal government is engaged on plans to permit the victims of the fireplace to go to their broken flats and get better a few of their belongings in April.
