Probe of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades begins evidence hearings

HONG KONG (AP) — An independent committee investigating the cause of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades on Thursday heard that a series of failures contributed to the blaze’s burning seven buildings and killing 168 people as it opened its first hearing on the evidence.

Former residents and relatives of the dead have been waiting for answers since November 2025, when the fire shattered the close-knit community of Wang Fuk Court, which housed thousands of people in the suburban district of Tai Po.

In his opening remarks, committee lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the most likely cause of the fire was cigarettes that lit other materials on fire on a platform in a light well between two low-level units in Wang Cheong House. He said burned paper boxes and cigarette butts found at the site.

But Dawes cautioned that no direct proof suggested the blaze was caused by smoking, noting that workers had violated a rule against smoking outside of designated areas.

He said the evidence showed that multiple factors came together to produce the disaster, ranging from fire alarms and hose systems being shut off to the use of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting and covering windows with foam boards. The windows at staircases were removed, causing plumes of smoke and fire got into the residents’ escape routes, he said.

“On the day of the fire, nearly all fire safety systems meant to protect lives failed because of human factors,” he said.

The fire broke out on Nov. 26 and quickly engulfed seven of the apartment complex’s eight buildings. A number of people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, fraud or corruption.

The judge-led committee, set up in December, will also examine if systemic problems such as bid-rigging existed in large-scale building maintenance and renovation works. The government said at the time that the committee’s work was expected to take nine months.

After listening to the opening remarks from lawyers, the committee will hear oral evidence from witnesses, including Wang Fuk Court residents. Various government departments are involved in hearings.

Before the hearing, Phyllis Lo, who lost her mother in the fire, said she hopes to listen to the findings from different sides to get a comprehensive understanding of the incident.

Another resident named Seneca Lee said she wanted to know what caused the deadly fire.

Many former occupants of the apartment complex are living in temporary housing scattered across the city. Hong Kong officials last month proposed to buy back the homeownership rights from the fire victims, citing results from a survey of residents’ preferences. But that dashed the hopes of some who want to rebuild their homes at the site.

Hong Kong leader John Lee on Tuesday said the government is working on plans to allow the affected residents to visit their apartments and recover some of their belongings in April.