
Hong Kong Fire Department Officers Testify as Wang Fuk Court Fire Investigation Enters 17th Day
Four Hong Kong fire department officers testified Wednesday before an independent committee investigating the Wang Fuk Court fire that killed 168 people on November 26 last year. The blaze, the city's deadliest since 1948, destroyed seven of eight buildings and displaced 5,000 residents. Testimony revealed a conflict between worker safety laws prohibiting scaffolding climbing and fire risks, with movable boards installed in emergency staircases replacing fireproof windows and causing smoke to fill exits. A Labour Department officer also admitted authorities failed to notice a contractor resubmitted an outdated fire retardancy report dated July 2024.
