Wang Fuk Court Aftermath | Independent Committee finds Prestige and Will Power accountable for fire tragedy

The HKSAR government today (Oct. 29) formally published the report of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. On the question of responsibility among contractors and private-sector parties, the Committee concluded that Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., Limited (Prestige) and Will Power Architects Company Limited (Will Power) bore overall responsibility for fire tragedy.

"The evidence from the hearings clearly shows that Prestige and Will Power were perfunctory and derelict in their duties in multiple respects," the Committee said. "There is no doubt that Prestige and Will Power are those responsible, and must be held accountable for the fire tragedy and the heavy loss of life."

The Committee found that the two companies were fully aware of the fire risks involved, yet ignored repeated complaints and safety concerns raised by Wang Fuk Court residents throughout the works. Their conduct was not mere oversight or negligence: they used non-compliant building materials and unsafe construction methods — in particular, non-fire-retardant scaffold nets, foam boards used to cover the windows of all eight residential blocks over an extended period, and the removal of windows at escape staircases to create openings for access. They must also be held responsible for the failure on the day of the fire of the building's firefighting installations, including the fire alarm system and the fire hydrant and hose reel system.

The Committee further found evidence that multiple registered contractors and registered building professionals had performed no substantive work, instead signing statutory forms as "rubber stamps" in exchange for payment. To evade the regulatory system, Prestige and Will Power arranged for a nominal registered inspector (Ng Yeuk) and a nominal registered fire service contractor (China Status Development and Engineering Company Limited) to submit documents and notifications to the various regulatory authorities, creating a false impression of compliance.

Related News:

(Watch This) Wang Fuk Court aftermath | John Lee and officials bow in apology and propose reforms in response to Independent Committee report

Wang Fuk Court aftermath | Winnie Ho resigns to take political responsibility, Michael Wong appointed concurrently as Secretary for Housing