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

This 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. coverage: