Hong Kong apartment fires: hearings to begin into Wang Fuk blaze that killed 168 people

Independent committee to investigate safety standards and whether building practices contributed to worst residential fires in decades

• How the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guide

Public hearings in Hong Kong begin on Thursday into a devastating fire that ripped through a housing complex last year, killing 168 people.

A judge-led independent committee will investigate whether fire safety standards were inadequate, if construction practices contributed to the fire, and if there were failures on the part of government officers or contractors.