Hong Kong fire inquiry enters final arguments as Wang Fuk residents seek answers
Hong Kong's independent fire inquiry has begun final arguments over the Wang Fuk Court blaze. Survivors and families still want accountability as testimony points to deeper safety and contracting failures.
An independent committee probing Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades began hearing final arguments on Wednesday, moving the inquiry closer to a conclusion. The November blaze tore through seven buildings of the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, killing 168 people and devastating the close-knit community, while former residents and relatives of those who died have been waiting for answers.
Lawyers for residents, the government and the committee are expected to present their final arguments before the hearings end on Friday. The panel, set up by the Hong Kong city government in December with an expected nine-month timeline, is examining the cause of the fire and wider issues linked to it, but not possible legal liability, which will be handled by law enforcement authorities.
The three-member committee is headed by High Court Judge David Lok and includes Executive Council member Chan Kin-por and Hospital Authority Board member Rex Auyeung. When hearings opened in March, the committee's lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the evidence showed multiple factors had contributed to the disaster, including fire alarms and hose systems being shut off, the use of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting, and windows being covered with foam boards.
Martin Ho, a lawyer for ISS EastPoint Properties, said the property management company's in-house electrician had inadvertently switched off the fire alarm system while emptying water tanks. He said the mistake was regrettable but could have been avoided if the complex's fire service installation contractor had been present during the process. Ho also said another installation contractor later noticed the problem but did not follow up properly, adding that a director of that contractor pointed to an industry mentality of not teaching other companies how to work. The lawyer called it "baffling".
Aaron Chan, representing a director of one of the fire service installation contractors, said his client agreed that the fire alarm system would help reduce casualties, but hoped the committee would also consider that the window for escape may have been very short and that other factors were involved. Judge Lok stepped in and asked Chan not to tell him the alarms were useless. Chan quickly denied doing so, but said he wanted other factors to be considered.
Some residents who attended Wednesday's arguments said those involved appeared to be trying to avoid responsibility. Betty Ho said she was unsure whether she would learn the truth, but hoped the committee could secure justice for those who died. "I don't think we'll get what we hoped for in the end," she said. Patrick Liu said he did not have much expectation. "Basically, everyone is just shirking responsibility. There's no need to even think about it," Liu said, adding that while he had learnt more about what happened, he still needed to wait for the committee's report and a court trial to fully understand who should be held accountable.
The panel is also looking into whether wider systemic problems, including bid-rigging, exist in Hong Kong's large-scale building maintenance and renovation works. It is expected to make suggestions after reviewing the cause of the fire, possible systemic issues, and whether current regulations and penalties are adequate. A representative of the Competition Commission said on Wednesday that bid-rigging groups existed in the city and that in some cases they were linked to criminal groups known as triads. Former residents, government officials and experts have testified in earlier rounds of hearings, and CCTV footage, documents and text message records have also been used as evidence.
In June, Hong Kong authorities charged seven people and two companies with offences including manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud over the fire. The companies are Will Power Architects Company, a consultancy, and Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., the main contractor involved in a major renovation project at Wang Fuk Court at the time of the blaze. Authorities alleged that those running the renovation project and the companies involved were seriously negligent in monitoring the materials used and the procedures followed. They also alleged that the two companies and some defendants conspired to defraud apartment owners by concealing previous Prestige litigation records and inflating the firm's score in a tender analysis report. As the hearings near their end, the inquiry has brought together evidence on the fire's causes, the role of those involved, and possible wider problems in the building sector.
With PTI Inputs
An independent committee probing Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades began hearing final arguments on Wednesday, moving the inquiry closer to a conclusion. The November blaze tore through seven buildings of the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex, killing 168 people and devastating the close-knit community, while former residents and relatives of those who died have been waiting for answers.
Lawyers for residents, the government and the committee are expected to present their final arguments before the hearings end on Friday. The panel, set up by the Hong Kong city government in December with an expected nine-month timeline, is examining the cause of the fire and wider issues linked to it, but not possible legal liability, which will be handled by law enforcement authorities.
The three-member committee is headed by High Court Judge David Lok and includes Executive Council member Chan Kin-por and Hospital Authority Board member Rex Auyeung. When hearings opened in March, the committee's lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the evidence showed multiple factors had contributed to the disaster, including fire alarms and hose systems being shut off, the use of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting, and windows being covered with foam boards.
Martin Ho, a lawyer for ISS EastPoint Properties, said the property management company's in-house electrician had inadvertently switched off the fire alarm system while emptying water tanks. He said the mistake was regrettable but could have been avoided if the complex's fire service installation contractor had been present during the process. Ho also said another installation contractor later noticed the problem but did not follow up properly, adding that a director of that contractor pointed to an industry mentality of not teaching other companies how to work. The lawyer called it "baffling".
Aaron Chan, representing a director of one of the fire service installation contractors, said his client agreed that the fire alarm system would help reduce casualties, but hoped the committee would also consider that the window for escape may have been very short and that other factors were involved. Judge Lok stepped in and asked Chan not to tell him the alarms were useless. Chan quickly denied doing so, but said he wanted other factors to be considered.
Some residents who attended Wednesday's arguments said those involved appeared to be trying to avoid responsibility. Betty Ho said she was unsure whether she would learn the truth, but hoped the committee could secure justice for those who died. "I don't think we'll get what we hoped for in the end," she said. Patrick Liu said he did not have much expectation. "Basically, everyone is just shirking responsibility. There's no need to even think about it," Liu said, adding that while he had learnt more about what happened, he still needed to wait for the committee's report and a court trial to fully understand who should be held accountable.
The panel is also looking into whether wider systemic problems, including bid-rigging, exist in Hong Kong's large-scale building maintenance and renovation works. It is expected to make suggestions after reviewing the cause of the fire, possible systemic issues, and whether current regulations and penalties are adequate. A representative of the Competition Commission said on Wednesday that bid-rigging groups existed in the city and that in some cases they were linked to criminal groups known as triads. Former residents, government officials and experts have testified in earlier rounds of hearings, and CCTV footage, documents and text message records have also been used as evidence.
In June, Hong Kong authorities charged seven people and two companies with offences including manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud over the fire. The companies are Will Power Architects Company, a consultancy, and Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., the main contractor involved in a major renovation project at Wang Fuk Court at the time of the blaze. Authorities alleged that those running the renovation project and the companies involved were seriously negligent in monitoring the materials used and the procedures followed. They also alleged that the two companies and some defendants conspired to defraud apartment owners by concealing previous Prestige litigation records and inflating the firm's score in a tender analysis report. As the hearings near their end, the inquiry has brought together evidence on the fire's causes, the role of those involved, and possible wider problems in the building sector.
With PTI Inputs
