Tai Po probe: knowledge of defects could’ve aided response, firefighter says

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedyHong KongLaw and CrimeLIVEUpdated 1 minute agoTai Po probe: knowledge of defects could’ve aided response, firefighter saysCommander says firefighters drew up a contingency plan for Wang Fuk Court’s renovation but without visiting the site beforehand Leopold ChenandBrian WongPublished: 11:11am, 13 Apr 2026Updated: 11:12am, 13 Apr 20260 New UpdateIntroductionThis story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.An independent committee examining the causes of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, which claimed 168 lives at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, held its 11th day of hearings on Monday. Four senior firefighters, who served as commanders during the Tai Po blaze, are set to testify before the judge-led panel. Previous hearing sessions centred on the deactivation of the estate’s fire alarms, one of six “human factors” identified by the committee’s lead counsel, Victor Dawes, that contributed to the tragedy. The estate’s fire alarm and hose reel systems were switched off before the blaze to drain the fire services water tanks for maintenance. A Fire Services Department official described the unnecessary act as an “elementary mistake”. Keung Sai-ming, an assistant director at the department on licensing and certification, told the committee last week that the authorities had never conducted fire risk assessments at Wang Fuk Court. Keung said residential buildings were previously considered less risky than commercial or industrial ones. Authorities usually took action only when the fire services system was deactivated for more than a year, he said, citing limited manpower. They would prioritise oversight of annual fire equipment inspections and ensuring fire services contractors were responsible for rectification works. Follow our live updates as the hearings resume. More from our coverage: -Seeking answers to a tragedy Hong Kong could have avoided--Day 10 of Tai Po probe: fire department admits delays, ‘inadequate’ safety assessments-Committee concludes first phase of Tai Po fire hearing – as it happened-Tai Po fire hearing: estate manager questioned over fire alarm shutdown – as it happenedAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x