Fire alarm and firefighting pump systems at the housing estate engulfed in Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades were found to have been switched off a week before the tragedy struck, with no action taken to reactivate them, an evidential hearing has been told. An independent committee investigating the Tai Po blaze, which broke out…
A lawyer for the Hong Kong government has rejected “groundless” assertions that its surveyors conspired with a renovation contractor at the centre of the city’s deadliest fire in decades to conceal flammable materials used at the site, suggesting the firm did not have enough time to plan a deception before a crucial inspection. But Jenkin…
An independent committee set up to investigate Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has named 14 members of Wang Fuk Court’s former owners’ corporation management group and seven residents as “involved parties” to give evidence at its hearings. The seven were among a list of 37 involved parties published on Tuesday by the committee ahead…
The Hong Kong government has lodged civil lawsuits against 16 residents who allegedly refused to vacate homes in a neighbourhood known for its Thai and Chiu Chow heritage, earmarked for a HK$15 billion (US$1.91 billion) redevelopment project. The secretary for justice, on behalf of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), initiated proceedings at the District Court…
The provisional administrator of the housing estate ravaged by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades will attend hearings of the independent committee “as necessary” to represent the “common interests” of the owners’ corporation, the city’s home affairs chief has said amid criticisms that displaced residents lack legal representation in the probe. Secretary for Home and…
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…
Survivors of Hong Kong’s deadly Tai Po blaze have condemned what they called “insensitive and bureaucratic” arrangements for a government subsidy, with some saying they were blindsided by demands to provide proof of legal heirship in the wake of the blaze that tore through the estate and killed 168 people last year. The outcry over…
Hong Kong authorities will extend the deadline for mandatory building inspection orders to let homeowners vet contractors’ conviction records on a new platform launching later this year, the city’s development chief said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said on Saturday that the prequalification list on the Urban Renewal Authority’s (URA) electronic platform, currently…
Hong Kong authorities may remove building maintenance contractors from a government-recommended list if homeowners are dissatisfied with their performance, as part of measures to combat bid-rigging following the deadly Tai Po fire, the city’s No 2 official has said. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok‑ki said on Saturday that the government aimed to improve the Urban…
Extra costs and the use of public resources may be incurred under the Hong Kong government’s proposed moves to increase professional scrutiny of building maintenance projects following the deadly Tai Po inferno, a lawmaker has said, calling for further discussion. Election Committee lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo, a town planner by training, said on Thursday that…