Committee hears final arguments in probe of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire
in decades
[July 15, 2026]
By KANIS LEUNG
HONG KONG (AP) — An independent committee investigating the cause of
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades began hearing final arguments
Wednesday as the inquiry moves toward a conclusion.
The November fire engulfed seven buildings of an apartment complex,
killing 168 people and shattering the close-knit community of Wang Fuk
Court, which housed thousands of people in the suburban Tai Po district.
Former residents and relatives of the deceased have been waiting for
answers from the committee, which was established in December by the
Hong Kong city government with an expectation that the work would take
nine months.
Lawyers representing residents, the government and the committee are
expected to lay out their arguments before the hearings conclude Friday.
The scope of the panel does not include possible legal liabilities for
those linked to the fire’s outbreak, which will be handled by law
enforcement authorities.
Committee has heard testimony about multiple factors in fire
The three-member committee is led by High Court Judge David Lok and
includes Chan Kin-por, a member of the city’s Executive Council, and Rex
Auyeung, who serves on the Hospital Authority Board.
When the hearings began in March, committee lead lawyer Victor Dawes
said the evidence showed multiple factors contributed to the disaster,
from fire alarms and hose systems being shut off to the use of
non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting and covering windows with foam
boards.
Lawyer Martin Ho, representing ISS EastPoint Properties, said the
property management company's in-house electrician inadvertently
switched off the fire alarm system when emptying water tanks.
The mistake was regrettable but could have been avoided if the complex's
fire service installation contractor had been present during the
process, Ho said.
Another installation contractor later noted the issue but did not follow
up properly, Ho said, adding that a director of that contractor pointed
to the industry’s mentality of not teaching other companies how to work.
The lawyer called it “baffling.”
Aaron Chan, a lawyer for a director of one of the fire service
installation contractors, said his client agreed the fire alarm system
would help reduce casualties but hoped the committee could consider the
window to escape might be very short and other factors.
Judge David Lok, who led the committee, stepped in and asked Chan not to
tell him the alarms are useless. Chan quickly denied it but said he
wanted to present other factors for consideration.
Residents say responsibility is being avoided
Some Wang Fuk Court residents who listened to Wednesday's arguments said
part of those involved in the incident seemed to be trying to deflect
responsibility.
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Jenkin Suen, second from left, lawyer for the government, leaves
following the independent committee hearing investigating last
year's Tai Po deadly fire in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
(AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
Betty Ho was unsure if she could learn the truth, but said she hoped the
committee could find justice for the deceased victims.
“I don’t think we’ll get what we hoped for in the end,” she said.
Patrick Liu said he doesn't have much expectation.
“Basically, everyone is just shirking responsibility. There’s no need to
even think about it,” Liu said, adding that he learned about what had
happened but he still needed to wait for the committee's report and a
court trial to fully understand who should be accountable.
Panel also investigating systemic problems
The committee also is examining whether systemic problems such as
bid-rigging have occurred in Hong Kong's large-scale building
maintenance and renovation works. The panel is expected to give
suggestions after reviewing the fire's cause, potential systemic
problems and whether existing regulations and penalties are sufficient.
A representative of the Competition Commission, an antitrust
organization, on Wednesday said bid-rigging groups existed in the city
and in some cases were associated with criminal groups known as triads.
Former residents, government officers and experts have given evidence in
previous rounds of hearings. CCTV footage, documents and records of text
messages also were used as evidence.
Criminal charges filed over fire
Hong Kong authorities charged seven people and two companies in June
with offenses including manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud over the
fire.
The companies include 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 the people in charge of the renovation project and
the relevant companies were seriously negligent in monitoring the
materials used in the project and the procedures involved.
They also alleged the two companies and some defendants conspired to
defraud Wang Fuk Court apartment owners by concealing previous Prestige
litigation records and inflating the firm's score in a tender analysis
report.
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