Hong Kong Leader Sets Up Independent Committee to Investigate Major Fire Incident
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee announced on Tuesday the establishment of an independent, judge-led committee to investigate last week’s catastrophic fire at an apartment complex in the Tai Po district, which claimed 151 lives.
The blaze, the city’s deadliest in decades, erupted at the Wang Fuk Court residential towers last Wednesday. Preliminary findings indicate that flames spread rapidly through scaffolding netting that failed to meet fire-resistance standards.
“I will establish an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review to reform the building work system and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future,” Lee stated during a press conference. While Hong Kong has a longstanding practice of forming judge-led “commissions of inquiry,” Lee specifically referred to the new body as an “independent committee.”
The leader outlined several systemic failures in safety, supervision, construction, and maintenance standards that contributed to the disaster. “We must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are plugged so that those who are responsible will be accountable,” he said.
Authorities have already taken action against those allegedly involved. In a joint operation, Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency and police have arrested 14 individuals, 13 of whom face suspicion of manslaughter. Lee accused the suspects of deliberately mixing substandard scaffolding netting with certified materials “to cheat inspection and law enforcement agencies,” calling their actions “evil.”
The tragedy has triggered an outpouring of public grief and demands for transparency. However, local media reported the arrest of at least three individuals, including student Miles Kwan and former district councilor Kenneth Cheung, for distributing flyers and petitions calling for an independent probe. An online petition gathering over 10,000 signatures was taken down within a day.
When questioned about these arrests, Lee responded, “I will not tolerate any crimes, particularly crimes that exploit the tragedy that we have been facing now.”
Search and recovery efforts continued into the week, with police completing operations in five of the seven affected towers. Victims’ remains were discovered in apartments, hallways, and stairwells. Families began returning to the site on Monday to conduct traditional funeral rites, a process expected to continue in the coming days.
As the city mourns, the newly formed committee will now be tasked with uncovering the full scope of failures and recommending reforms to prevent another such disaster.
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