Investigation Reveals No Safety Inspections Performed on Scaffolding Before Tai Po Fire Disaster
Building and Home Affairs Officials Face Scrutiny in Public Inquiry
An independent committee probing Hong Kong's catastrophic Wang Fuk Court fire will examine the conduct of regulatory authorities during the 20th day of its public inquiry proceedings.
Four officials representing the Buildings Department and Home Affairs Department are scheduled to testify before the judge-led commission on Monday. The devastating blaze, which erupted on November 26 of the previous year at the eight-building residential complex in Tai Po during ongoing renovation work, resulted in 168 fatalities and forced approximately 5,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Senior Official Set to Give Evidence
Among those expected to provide testimony is Eunice Chan Hau-man, who served as the district officer for Tai Po at the time of the fire. Chan was reassigned to a different position shortly after facing public backlash regarding her appearance at the funeral service for firefighter Ho Wai-ho, a casualty of the blaze. Prior reporting indicated that Chan had faced repeated complaints about her confrontational administrative style and apparent dismissal of community concerns.
Fire Services Chief Acknowledges Departmental Oversight Gaps
During the previous day's hearing, Andy Yeung Yan-kin, Director of Fire Services, contradicted earlier statements from his department, acknowledging that fire services held responsibility for regulating hazards related to construction materials and procedures.
Yeung concurred with committee lead counsel Victor Dawes that certain issues could fall under the jurisdiction of multiple government bodies, and that simply redirecting complaints between departments would prove inadequate. He emphasized the necessity for enhanced inter-departmental coordination and collaboration.
Multiple Risk Factors Identified
Dawes pinpointed three significant "human factors" that intensified the fire's devastating impact:
- The installation of combustible polyfoam boards to obstruct apartment windows
- The application of scaffolding mesh that allegedly lacked proper fire-retardant properties
- Smoking practices among construction workers on the premises
The inquiry previously established that residents had alerted authorities to these fire safety concerns, yet the response from multiple departments—including fire services, the Buildings Department, and the Labour Department—involved passing complaints between agencies, with each claiming the matters fell outside their regulatory scope.
The hearing continues as the investigation progresses.