The chief executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, has apologised for a massive fire that ripped through an apartment complex last year and killed 168 people.
Speaking at a press conference, Lee promised major reforms to government departments to ensure such an incident would not happen again.
A report by an independent committee, released by the government at the press conference, found that the fire was caused by “misconduct” by the private sector as well as “decades of failure” by government bodies.
The massive blaze at Wang Fuk Court in November 2025 was the deadliest the city had seen in decades. Dozens of people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, fraud or corruption.
At the start of the press conference on Thursday, John Lee said he was “deeply sorrowful” about the fire and that on behalf of his government, “I apologise to the victims as well as the city’s residents”.
He then stood up and bowed, along with several top officials.
Later he announced that the city’s housing secretary Winnie Ho had resigned to take accountability for the fire.
The independent committee’s report found that the fire was most likely caused by a “glowing source, likely a cigarette” which ignited “paper materials” at the apartment complex, which was undergoing extensive renovation at the time.
Officials have said the government may start using AI and drones with infra-red cameras to detect and identify smokers on construction sites.
The report also found that the construction companies in charge of the renovation used sub-standard building materials and had unsafe procedures.
The committee said the main contractor and consultant for the renovation, as well as several individuals associated with the project, deserved “the most severe criticisms” for the fire.
Credit: bbc.com
