Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, together with relevant officials, held a press conference at 2:45 pm today (Oct. 29) at the Central Government Offices on the Independent Committee's report on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
The Committee expressed the hope that the inquiry would bring some comfort to Hongkongers and ease their pain. While it cannot bring back the lives and homes lost, the government and all stakeholders should take the findings and recommendations seriously. Hong Kong has already paid a heavy price, and it is time to learn from the accident and build a safer living environment for residents of high-rise buildings.
The report noted that various bureaus and departments have already introduced a series of corrective measures in the wake of the fire, including legislation banning smoking at construction sites, tightened regulation of fire service installations and registered fire service contractors, more frequent inspections, and mandatory fire-retardant testing of scaffold nets before installation. Some of these overlap with the Committee's recommendations. While some may view them as coming too late, the government's swift action reflects good governance and deserves credit.
The Committee stressed that society must not stop here, but continue to seek solutions to prevent similar accidents. Fire safety is not the government's responsibility alone: past incidents have shown that small matters—such as leaving smoke doors propped open—can have catastrophic consequences. Building professionals, fire-safety engineers, property managers, regulators and residents all have a part to play.
The report also recorded several moving moments from the hearings: surviving residents thanking firefighters and neighbours for saving their lives; the family of a deceased couple expressing deep remorse after learning that firefighter Ho Wai-ho had died responding to a call to rescue the couple; a security guard of some 20 years at Wang Fuk Court, who refuted online claims she had fled first, saying she had remained in the burning building trying to rescue residents until ordered to withdraw; and survivors encouraging residents to look forward.
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