Lit cigarette, combustibles and ‘human fault’ led to deadly Hong Kong fire: report
Report on Wang Fuk Court blaze singles out main contractor, consultant, and inspector for severe negligence and unsafe building procedures
A combination of a lit cigarette and an “abundant fuel” of combustible materials caused Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, according to a long-awaited report which found the blaze would not have killed so many people, or happened at all, without “human fault”.
Eleven months after the deadly fire tore through Wang Fuk Court, killing 168 and displacing thousands, an independent committee’s report released on Thursday assigned blame to the main contractor for renovations at the housing estate, the project consultant, and inspector Wilson Ng Yeuk for their alleged roles in the tragedy.
The 1,154-page, two-volume report also singled out four government bodies for accountability: the Buildings Department, the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, the Fire Services Department and the Labour Department.
