A public evidential hearing by an independent committee into a fire that killed 168 people at a Hong Kong estate has entered its fourth day, with more residents set to testify.
One resident who testified on Thursday said piles of rubbish were seen outside the building that first caught fire at Wang Fuk Court estate, while another who called police’s emergency hotline about the blaze said she had to wait “for a long time” before she could get through.
In the previous session, a lawyer for the government rejected “completely groundless” assertions that its surveyors conspired with a renovation contractor to conceal flammable materials used at the estate, suggesting the business lacked the time to plan such a deception before a crucial inspection.
Three Wang Fuk Court residents have already testified about their ordeal and said they regularly saw workers smoking at the estate while it was undergoing renovation before the fire.
Follow our live updates for the fourth day of the hearing.
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