Tai Po Wang Fuk Court Fire Inquiry Report Reveals Departments Received 180 Complaints Beforehand
Gov’t departments received 180 complaints about smoking, fire safety before Wang Fuk Court fire: report
The inquiry report into the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire discloses that government departments had received about 180 complaints and enquiries from 2022 onwards, concerning construction workers smoking and suspected substandard renovation materials, among other things, with 23 of them mentioning the contractor responsible for the estate's maintenance. The report says some smoking complaints were deemed unsubstantiated after inspections, while for complaints about windows covered with foam boards, the Fire Services Department replied that there were no specific regulations governing the matter. The fire killed 168 people, and Chief Executive John Lee announced after the report's release that Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho had resigned.
The inquiry report discloses that departments received a total of 180 complaints before the fire, 23 of which involved the contractor, allowing readers to check the departments' responses and follow-up at the time.
Source: Hong Kong Free Press · hongkongfp.com