Substandard work and evasion of oversight helped fuel deadly Hong Kong
fire, investigators told
[July 17, 2026]
By KANIS LEUNG
HONG KONG (AP) — An independent committee investigating the cause of
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades heard arguments on how improper
practices that evaded regulatory oversight turned a small fire into a
tragedy as the case neared its conclusion Friday.
The November blaze spread through seven buildings of an apartment
complex, killing 168 people and displacing thousands of residents at
Wang Fuk Court in the suburban Tai Po district. Many of the residents
now live in temporary housing.
Committee lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the use of non-fire-retardant
scaffolding netting was very likely a key reason for the fire's rapid
spread at the complex, which was undergoing a major renovation project
when the blaze started. Having wooden planks boarding up staircase
windows caused plumes of smoke in residents’ escape routes, he said.
He said Will Power Architects Company, a consultancy, and Prestige
Construction & Engineering Co., the main contractor on the project, cut
corners in the work and the materials, in addition to deceiving
regulators and homeowners, he said. Various substandard and improper
practices were involved, including faked compliance of inspections.
Certain professionals responsible for inspections signed documents like
a “rubber stamp," he said.
Dawes also criticized the government’s reliance on an honor system in
overseeing the project, saying relevant departments should bear
responsibility.
“When faced with dishonest bad actors, the entire system collapsed,” he
said.
Several residents wept during the hearing that was concluded Friday.
On Thursday, Lawyer Jenkin Suen, representing the government,
acknowledged some systemic vulnerabilities but said it would be unfair
to say government departments were the instigators of the fire. Some
professionals and contractors abused a mechanism that aimed to protect
the public and betrayed the trust placed in them, he said.
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Jenkin Suen, counsel for the Hong Kong government, arrives for the
closing submissions at the Independent Commission investigation
hearing into last year's Tai Po deadly fire, in Hong Kong, Friday,
July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)
Jeffrey Tam, a lawyer for nine residents of the Wang Fuk Court,
noted some residents decided to give evidence despite being
distressed by the tragedy.
“But we heard some witnesses appear that they just wanted to to be
shirking responsibility," he said. “So sometimes I also understand
why they could not hold back their anger."
He added deflecting responsibility like this would not help the city
find out the truth.
The investigating committee led by High Court judge David Lok is
expected to give recommendations after reviewing the fire’s cause,
potential systemic problems and whether existing regulations and
penalties are sufficient. When the committee's findings will be
released is not known.
But its scope of work does not include possible legal liabilities,
which will be handled by law enforcement authorities.
Last month, 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 and Prestige Construction & Engineering Co.
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