Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee held a press conference on the 12th to announce the appointment of Judge Andrew Lok and two others to form an independent committee to examine the cause of the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire and whether there were any illegal actions in related repair works. The report is to be completed within 9 months.
John Lee stated that the truth of the Tai Po fire will definitely be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible will be held accountable. The independent committee will review the cause of the fire, the building's fire prevention installations and equipment, the safety standards and material lists of building maintenance works, as well as the roles and responsibilities of relevant regulatory bodies and personnel at each stage; it will also scrutinize whether inappropriate vested interests, conflicts of roles, or collusion existed during each stage of large-scale building maintenance works, review whether current legal regulations and penalties are sufficient, and make recommendations.
The chairman of the Tai Po Fire Independent Committee, Andrew Lok, stated on the 12th that over the next 9 months, the independent committee will focus on three main areas: examining the circumstances and causes of the fire outbreak and rapid spread; reviewing the arrangements for large-scale building maintenance works; and assessing whether current laws, regulations, and penalties are adequate. Based on their review, the independent committee will submit recommendations to the Chief Executive, assisting the SAR government to deepen reform and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The independent committee is composed of three people, two of whom are Legislative Council member Chan Kin-por and MTR chairman Rex Auyeung.
On November 26, a five-alarm fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, affecting 7 blocks. The fire caused at least 160 deaths (including one firefighter who died in the line of duty), 79 injuries, and 6 people missing.