Fairness pledged as Hong Kong residents seek answers in Tai Po fire inquiry

Some residents of Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court have urged an independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades to identify and hold those responsible to account, as the judge leading the inquiry vows a fair and thorough probe.The committee’s first hearing began at 10am on Thursday with a minute of silence to mourn the victims of the fire that claimed at least 168 lives and displaced nearly 5,000 residents at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po last November.Judge David Lok Kai-hong, who chaired the meeting, then gave an overview of the committee’s work leading up to the session.He noted that other legal proceedings, including criminal and civil cases, and coroner’s inquiry, were under way, saying the committee’s work should minimise its impact on such processes.“In other words, we do not wish for the committee’s work to affect any defendants’ right to a fair trial, or allow anyone to evade the legal responsibilities they should bear,” he said.Held at the City Gallery in Central, the session focused on arrangements for the coming hearings, as well as outlining the probe’s road map.