A public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has exposed confusion among government agencies over roles in supervising large renovation projects. A fire services officer testified on Wednesday that his department was not responsible for handling complaints about flammable building materials due to a lack of construction expertise.
An independent committee held a public evidential hearing on Wednesday into the disaster at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Michael Yung Kam-hung, assistant director of the Fire Services Department, testified that his department discovered breaches during the estate’s exterior overhaul but did not take legal action, as it could not determine which materials or arrangements were integral to the project.
“We do not know how it would affect the project’s progress if we arbitrarily decide that certain materials cannot be used,” he told the committee investigating the disaster. Yung also said there was a tacit understanding among departments over which authority should handle fire safety concerns.
Hours after the hearing, the Fire Services Department announced it would launch a new mechanism this month for handling fire safety cases in buildings. Cases falling under other government units’ jurisdiction would be referred to the most appropriate department for follow-up with the complainant’s consent. If the relevant department objected, the case would be escalated to senior management for cross-departmental coordination.
