Hong Kong’s leader apologises for residential fire that killed 168 people

Hong Kong’s leader has apologised for government shortcomings that contributed to a fire that killed 168 people in the city last year, a rare sign of public contrition that nevertheless failed to impress some victims’ families. The chief executive, John Lee, and seven other officials bowed in apology at the release of a report that pointed to “decades of failure” by government bodies.

Four departments “should bear part of the responsibility” for the high casualties, the report said. So far one official, housing secretary Winnie Ho, has resigned. Last November, a small fire probably started by a cigarette grew into an inferno that enveloped seven of the eight towers in Wang Fuk Court, a housing complex that was shrouded in bamboo scaffolding and netting for renovations.

Former residents and victims’ families have been waiting to see how the government will address who is to blame for the ignored warnings, substandard building materials and disabled fire alarms that made the fire the world’s deadliest in a residential building since 1980. Authorities have filed charges, including manslaughter, against seven individuals and two companies over their roles in the fire.

At least 35 people have been arrested. The independent report released on Thursday found the “main culprits” of the fire were private contractors but also accused officials of “lax enforcement”. Had the four departments better recognised the risks and acted accordingly, “there was a real possibility that the misconduct of the private-sector parties and the fire hazards in WF Court could have been rectified or removed before the fire”, it said.

Lee said a three-month investigation would now begin into the government’s role. “I am deeply saddened. I would like to apologise to the affected residents and the general public,” Lee said on Thursday, adding that housing minister Ho should “bear political responsibility”.

But Yip Ka-kui, who lost his wife and home in the fire, told reporters he did not consider the government’s acceptance of accountability adequate. “All the secretaries for the departments named should step down,” he said, according to AFP news agency. “Administrative responsibility falls short” and political accountability even more so, Yip added.

Phyllis Lo, whose mother died in the fire, told AP news agency that progress had been made but that justice had yet to be served. She added the officials’ apology was late, though it was better than nothing. Hong Kong’s government has previously been accused by critics of being more concerned with clamping down on criticism rather than addressing the causes of the disaster.

Since a National Security Law was imposed on the city in 2020 by Beijing, the city’s once vibrant civil society groups and political opposition have been all but quashed. In the weeks after the fire, authorities warned against crimes that “exploit the tragedy” and reportedly arrested at least three people for sedition.

China’s national security agency in Hong Kong also summoned international media representatives, saying they had smeared the government in their reports on the fire. On Thursday Lee promised that ““similar incidents will never be allowed to happen again”. Some observers had called for a more legally powerful inquiry commission to be set up, rather than the judge-led independent review committee that compiled Thursday’s report.

Lee told reporters that authorities had proposed “systematic reforms”, including criminalising bid-rigging and overhauling the complaints system. The report stated: “The fire has been put out, but the reform has only just begun.”