What the public inquiry into deadly Tai Po blaze has revealed so far

Ahead of fourth round of hearings that begin on Wednesday, we unpack what has emerged about disaster during independent committee’s 21 sessions

The independent committee tasked with investigating Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po blaze has finished 21 sessions of evidential hearings in three rounds, pointing to multiple apparent loopholes in the supervision of the estate’s renovation project and the government’s regulation of fire hazards.

The inferno broke out on November 26 last year when all eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court were undergoing exterior maintenance work and were covered in scaffolding and mesh netting.

The fire tore through seven blocks, killing 168 people and becoming the deadliest in Hong Kong since 1948.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu ordered the creation of the committee, chaired by Justice David Lok Kai-hong, to investigate the cause of the disaster and identify any systemic problems in the lucrative building maintenance sector.

Ahead of the fourth round of hearings on Wednesday, the South China Morning Post sums up the findings so far.

1. Key facts about the fire scene

In his opening speech, committee lead barrister Victor Dawes SC said the fire started between 2.42pm and 2.45pm in the lightwell outside flats 104 and 105 of Wang Cheong House.