Fire safety measures failed during deadly Hong Kong blaze, inquiry hears

A cascading series of human failures left nearly every life-saving safeguard ineffective when a ferocious blaze ripped through a Hong Kong housing complex last year, killing 168 people, a public inquiry heard.

The fire erupted on 26 November at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, making it the world’s deadliest residential building blaze since 1980.

Flames swept through seven of the estate’s eight residential blocks, all under renovation.

Bamboo scaffolds, protective netting and foam boards wrapped the structures—materials that may have accelerated the fire’s spread.

“Based on the evidence gathered, on the day of the fire almost all of the life-saving fire safety measures failed because of human factors,” Mr Dawes told the first day of the hearings.

“This process may be very difficult and heavy … but only this way can we make Hong Kong a safer city,” he said.

Renovation work was underway at the building when the fire broke out

Mr Dawes described the blaze as a “facade fire” and said it was the “combined result of multiple factors”.

The inquiry heard that the committee gathered more than one million documents, including written and visual testimony from residents, construction workers and firefighters.

More than 4,600 people lived in the complex when the fire struck, Mr Dawes said, with over 1,700 of them aged 60 or older.

Footage shown at the hearing captured flames racing up the building and scaffolding tumbling from the exterior after the blaze ignited early in the afternoon.

“There’s no fire alarm,” voices from one piece of footage could be heard saying.

Mr Dawes showed a clip of residents at one block attempting to use the fire hose and activate the fire alarm as the blaze spread, but both were inoperable.

He also said that falling bamboo had “created extreme difficulty for firefighters” and blocked the main escape route for residents of one of the towers less than half an hour after the alarm was raised.

At the time, the complex housed more than 4,600 residents

Government officials, former residents, the directors of construction firms and members of the Wang Fuk Court management committee are expected to appear at the inquiry.

The judge-led committee will investigate whether fire safety standards were inadequate, if construction practices contributed to the blaze, and if there were failures by government officers or contractors.

Police are also conducting a criminal investigation and have arrested 38 people on charges including manslaughter and fraud.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption – Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog – said that it has detained 23 people, including consultants, contractors and members of the owners’ corporation of the complex.