168人の死者と約5000人の被災者を出した香港の宏福苑火災に関する最新の調査審問において、都市再開発局（URA）の担当者は、限られたリソースや住民の意思決定への不干渉方針を理由に、住宅改修における相場操作や談合を防止する仕組みが同局の入札制度には備わっていないことを認めた。
11月に発生した火災は、改修工事中だった大埔の団地全8棟のうち7棟を焼き尽くし、複数の火災リスクを露呈させた。URAが委託した第三者機関による評価では、外壁改修工事の費用は約1億200万香港ドル（約1300万米ドル）と見積もられていた。審問で当局は、現行のシステムには企業による入札操作を阻止するメカニズムが欠如しており、たとえ疑わしい行為が検出されたとしても、業者の選定は住民の決定に従うため、同局は介入しない方針であることを明らかにした。
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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.
Hong Kong's independent committee inquiring into the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire—the city's worst since 1948—heard that government surveyors followed outdated guidelines during renovations, forgoing in-person checks and overlooking risks like illegal alterations to emergency passages in the HK$336 million project.
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Hong Kong's Competition Commission has not ruled out links between at least two bid-rigging syndicates and renovations at Wang Fuk Court, the Tai Po estate destroyed in a fire. Executive director for legal services Lester Lee Hiu-leung told a judge-led committee on Thursday that law enforcement agencies will probe potential fraud in residents' selection of the HK$336 million Prestige proposal, the priciest among 57 bids.
The administrator of Wang Fuk Court has detailed plans to refund HK$127 million to owners displaced by a major fire, following the payment of HK$180 million toward a renovation project.
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Residents of Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court returned on Saturday to their fire-ravaged flats to retrieve belongings one last time, amid tearful scenes. Ian Chu cherished the chance to capture a final photo of Tolo Harbour from his flat. The blaze killed 168 people, including 81 in Wang Cheong House.