Tai Po fire inquiry: Survivors honour heroine Pak Shui-lin who alerted neighbours

At the latest hearing into Hong Kong's deadly November 2025 Tai Po fire, survivors testified on Monday praising Pak Shui-lin, who knocked on neighbours' doors to warn them during the blaze but died in it. Her husband Sdanni Yip Ka-kui and neighbour Lam Yin-ming said her actions were heroic yet 'a natural one that everyone would do', adding she 'did not deserve to suffer such a fate'.

The fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, 2025, lasted 43 hours, destroyed seven of eight blocks including Wang Tai House, killed 168 people, and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.

Sdanni Yip Ka-kui, Pak Shui-lin's husband, and neighbour Lam Yin-ming, both from Wang Tai House, testified at the fifth session of the judge-led independent committee's evidential hearing on March 30. They lauded Pak's kindness in alerting residents on her floor, saving many lives, but lamented her death.

'I would say her move to knock on the doors is a natural one,' Yip said. 'It is a simple move that everyone would do.' The pair agreed she 'did not deserve to suffer such a fate'.

The inquiry continues to probe the cause of the blaze.

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Hong Kong residents navigate fire-damaged ruins of Wang Fuk Court to retrieve cherished family items before farewell.
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Residents of Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court have returned to the fire-ravaged ruins in recent days, climbing stairs to retrieve jewellery, cash, photo albums and keepsakes before bidding farewell to their homes. The fire services chief acknowledged at a hearing that departments need better communication while insisting on clear divisions of responsibility. The blaze killed 168 people.

An independent committee probing last year’s Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po heard that Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department declined to issue an emergency alert due to fears of confusion and the system’s one-hour activation time. The blaze killed 168 people, Hong Kong’s deadliest since 1948. Officers testified on responsibilities and response failures.

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Hong Kong's inquiry into the deadly Tai Po fire at Wang Fuk Court heard that the temporary removal of fireproof windows complied with regulations. Panel chairman Mr Justice David Lok Kai-hong questioned whether existing rules fairly balance workers' welfare and residents' safety. The inferno, which lasted 43 hours starting November 26 last year, killed 168 people in the deadliest blaze since 1948.

In the latest session of Hong Kong's inquiry into the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire—which killed 168 and displaced nearly 5,000—Urban Renewal Authority officials admitted their tendering system cannot prevent market manipulation or bid-rigging in estate renovations, citing limited resources and a policy of non-interference in homeowners' choices.

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On Saturday morning, a 31-year-old woman in Hong Kong's Yuen Long called for help, claiming her 31-year-old husband had knifed her in their flat at 88 Fung Cheung Road before she fled. Officers found the flat on fire, leading to the evacuation of about 30 residents, and her husband unconscious after falling from a height nearby. He was rushed to hospital in a coma, while she received treatment for hand injuries.

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