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Leopold Chen

Fourteen members of the former owners’ corporation of blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court along with seven residents have been named to give evidence at an independent probe into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades.
They are among 37 named in a list released on Tuesday by the independent committee investigating the deadly Tai Po blaze, ahead of the first of eight hearings into the tragedy.
The first hearing will take place on Thursday, while the last is scheduled for April 2.
“The committee will also invite witnesses who are not involved parties to give verbal evidence at the evidential hearings,” it said in a statement, adding that it would release the list of witnesses on each hearing date.
The government established the independent body to investigate the cause of the fire at Wang Fuk Court last November and identify any systemic problems related to large-scale building maintenance and renovation works.
The blaze killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
The committee’s list includes the directors of the contractor and the consultant for the estate’s external wall renovation project at the time of the tragedy.
Tony Tsui Moon-come, chairman of the former management committee of the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation, and 13 other members are among those on the list.
Tsui was arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) alongside his predecessor in December.

No members of the owners’ corporation committee before Tsui’s chairmanship were on the list of involved parties, despite the group endorsing the renovation project.
According to the rules set out by the independent committee, an involved party is entitled to make statements, summon and question witnesses, and give evidence at the hearings.
Other involved parties include representatives of nine government departments and statutory bodies, including the Buildings Department, the Fire Services Department, police, the ICAC and the Urban Renewal Authority.
The list also includes ISS East Point, Wang Fuk Court’s property manager at the time of the fire, as well as Victory Fire Engineering, the contractor of the estate’s fire services equipment repair project, and Hop On Management, the administrator of Wang Fuk Court after the Lands Tribunal approved the government’s application to dissolve the management committee.
Some of the individuals set to give evidence were Wong Hap-yin, director of the renovation project consultant Will Power Architects, alongside two directors and an authorised signatory of the main contractor, Prestige Construction and Engineering.
Wang Fuk Court’s external wall project became the subject of heavy scrutiny after the fire, as preliminary investigations found that substandard scaffolding mesh and polyfoam boards applied to protect the windows during the renovation contributed to the blaze’s rapid spread.
Rumours of bid-rigging also surfaced as the estate’s renovation budget ballooned from a preliminary tender analysis of HK$152 million (US$19.4 million) in September 2023 to a final HK$336 million in 2024, after the most expensive option was adopted.




The independent committee, which is chaired by Justice David Luk Kai-hong, held its first meeting on February 5.
At the first meeting, the committee’s leading counsel, Victor Dawes, said the evidence collected by the body appeared “to show that there is a series of systemic problems that should not be neglected and are unacceptable”.
The committee also called for public submissions of evidence after the first meeting.
In a reply to an earlier inquiry by the South China Morning Post, the committee said it had received a wide range of information, including personal accounts from residents of their experiences during the fire, observations of the blaze and the evacuation process, and perspectives on building safety practices, maintenance and renovation works.
“The committee, with the assistance of its legal team, will study and analyse the information received thoroughly,” the body said.
“The views and opinions received will be carefully considered and will serve as a valuable reference point in the committee’s deliberations, enabling a more comprehensive review of the incident and related issues.”
Police have arrested 16 people on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the fire as of late December, while the ICAC has made at least 14 arrests.


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Fire risks not spotted due to old inspection guidelines, Tai Po blaze inquiry told

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

21 Wang Fuk Court homeowners, residents to give evidence in fire probe

The fire at Wang Fuk Court killed 168 people. Photo: Jelly Tse

Members of the independent committee leave their first meeting on February 5. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong to unveil plans this month for Tai Po fire victims to retrieve belongings

Authorities are finalising plans to let Tai Po fire victims safely return to their damaged flats and collect belongings. Photo: Jelly Tse

Chief Executive John Lee says displaced residents will be allowed back to their fire-ravaged homes under strict safety controls. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Wang Fuk Court residents in resettlement limbo slam ‘unhelpful’ engagement officers

The fire that broke out at Wang Fuk Court last November raged for nearly two days, killing 168 people and displacing about 5,000 residents. Photo: Dickson Lee

The catastrophic fire in Tai Po last November has led to the displacement of about 5,000 residents. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Hong Kong

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Independent committee set up to investigate deadly fire publishes list of 37 ‘involved parties’ ahead of hearings to collect evidence


Independent committee set up to investigate deadly fire publishes list of 37 ‘involved parties’ ahead of hearings to collect evidence.


Hong Kong fires and safety

Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)

21 Wang Fuk Court homeowners, residents to give evidence in fire probe

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Independent committee set up to investigate deadly fire publishes list of 37 ‘involved parties’ ahead of hearings to collect evidence

Independent committee set up to investigate deadly fire publishes list of 37 ‘involved parties’ ahead of hearings to collect evidence