Independent Hong Kong panel starts hearing into devastating inferno
Cigarette butts are suspected to be the cause of the blaze, the committee’s lead lawyer says
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[HONG KONG] Human factors rendered almost all the fire-safety measures ineffective at the site of a Hong Kong blaze that killed 168 people in November, said the lead lawyer on Thursday (Mar 19) for a panel that is investigating the inferno and led by Judge David Lok.
The Independent Committee, set up by Hong Kong leader John Lee to recommend preventive measures, began hearings into the Asian financial hub’s deadliest fire in decades at the high-rise Wang Fuk housing complex in the precinct of Tai Po.
“Only by confronting past mistakes can the city become safer,” said the lawyer, Victor Dawes, as he detailed evidence regarding the blaze in the complex of eight blocks that was under extensive renovation.
Closed-circuit television images and videos shot by the public before and during the blaze, including scenes of construction workers smoking at the site, were played for the committee to review on Thursday.
“My family member has passed away, it’s been hard to watch so many videos, it’s like witnessing the whole process,” said a former resident, Phyllis, who lost her mother in the fire and received the videos before the hearing.
She told reporters she wanted to know the cause of the fire. Other residents said they wanted to know why the fire alarms never sounded.
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In 2024, the authorities told residents that the fire risks were “relatively low” following their complaints about the fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said earlier.
Dawes detailed five major problems, among which was the shutting down of the fire alarms in seven blocks.
Another issue was the removal of the staircase and corridor windows to give access to scaffolding for workers, allowing smoke and flames to enter the residents’ escape routes.
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Fire hydrants and hose reels were shut off, and non-flame-retardant netting was used, he said.
He added that cigarette butts were suspected to be the cause of the blaze, as stated in a report by an inter-departmental task force.
Residents’ repeated complaints about workers smoking had not been taken seriously by the authorities, he noted.
Investigators found numerous cigarette butts on the scaffolding and the platforms, in addition to within light wells.
Dozens of residents and members of the public arrived early on Thursday to attend the proceedings at a public conference hall in Central.
Lok, who chaired the hearing, said they aimed to find the causes of the fire and the extent of the problem of bid-rigging by contractors and developers in city-building projects.
Dawes said the panel received nearly one million files, including photographs, videos and documents.
Some in the Chinese-ruled city had launched an online petition calling for an independent investigation and accountability, while the authorities warned of severe punishment for those who tried to politicise the disaster. REUTERS
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