Deceitful firms mostly to blame for deadly Tai Po blaze, government counsel says

Hong Kong authorities’ role in last year’s deadly Wang Fuk Court blaze was secondary to that of construction and fire service firms, which either conspired to circumvent supervision or neglected their statutory duties, a government counsel has argued.

Wrapping up the government’s arguments at an independent committee inquiry into the tragedy, Jenkin Suen SC on Thursday attributed the inferno to the “deceit, inaction and deliberate omission” of contractors who exploited regulatory regimes founded on the trust and confidence that authorities had placed in the private sector.

Suen acknowledged that the disaster had exposed systemic vulnerabilities, including the government’s overreliance on professional self-regulation, insufficient oversight, gaps in guidelines and interdepartmental miscommunication, as well as an inability to apply technology to detect malpractice.

But he warned against characterising “weaknesses” and “room for improvement” in the system as the primary causes of the fire, saying the legislative framework had been developed in response to sustained calls in society to streamline regulatory procedures, reduce compliance costs and avoid disproportionate requirements for low-risk construction works.

“The government can understand why authorities’ failures are often subject to strict public scrutiny, but one must not lose sight of other stakeholders,” he said.