Hong Kong leader apologises for Wang Fuk Court fire as housing chief resigns
John Lee and seven officials bowed in apology as an inquiry blamed contractors and "decades of failure" by government bodies for 168 deaths.
Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee has apologised for the Wang Fuk Court fire that killed 168 people last November, and housing secretary Winnie Ho has resigned over it, the Guardian, CNA, the BBC and the South China Morning Post reported.
Lee and seven other senior officials bowed at the start of a press briefing on Thursday, where the government released the report of a judge-led independent committee. "I am deeply saddened. I would like to apologise to the affected residents and the general public," Lee said. The Post said it was the first time his administration had directly expressed regret since the blaze.
The November 26 fire tore through seven 31-storey towers at the complex in Tai Po, which was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and netting for renovations. CNA called it the city's deadliest fire since 1948, while the Guardian described it as the world's deadliest residential building fire since 1980. About 4,600 people lived there. CNA reported that 114 of the dead, about 70 per cent, were 65 or older, and the BBC said a 37-year-old firefighter, Ho Wai-ho, also died.
The report, which CNA said ran to more than 1,000 pages, found the fire was most likely started by a cigarette that ignited paper materials. It said contractor Prestige Construction & Engineering and consultant Will Power Architects bore primary responsibility. According to the BBC, the report found scaffolding nets that were not fire retardant, flammable foam boards over windows and false paperwork used to "feign compliance". It also described bid-rigging involving parties linked to triad gangs.
Government bodies were not spared. The report cited "decades of failure" and found four departments bore part of the responsibility: the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit, the Buildings Department, the Fire Services Department and the Labour Department. "Complaints about fire hazards fell into a vacuum," it said, according to CNA.
Lee said the checking unit's case involved no personal fault by Ho, but she should bear political accountability. The unit will be scrapped and replaced by a public housing control unit. Lee also promised to criminalise bid-rigging, with CNA reporting proposed fines of up to HK$10 million and 10 years' jail. Officials told the BBC that AI and drones with infrared cameras could be used to catch smokers on construction sites.
The Guardian reported that seven people and two companies have been charged, including with manslaughter, and at least 35 people arrested. CNA put the count at at least 25 charges against the two firms and seven individuals, covering manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
Some bereaved families were unmoved. Yip Ka-kui, who lost his wife, said every secretary of the named departments should step down, AFP reported. Phyllis Lo, whose mother died, told AP the apology was late but better than nothing.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan will lead a steering committee on the reforms, and Lee said a three-month investigation into the government's role would now begin.
Sources: The Guardian, Hong Kong’s leader apologises for residential fire that killed 168 people; CNA, Hong Kong housing secretary resigns over deadly Tai Po fire; South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s John Lee apologises for Tai Po fire, unveils reforms as housing chief resigns; BBC News, Hong Kong's leader apologises for deadly high-rise fire.
