Hong Kong leader orders independent investigation into fire that killed 151

Hong Kong’s person said an autarkic committee volition beryllium established to analyse the origin of the city’s deadliest fire successful decades, which killed astatine slightest 151 radical and near astir 80 injured.

John Lee, the main enforcement of the Chinese-administered region, pledged connected Tuesday to flooded vested interests and prosecute accountability for the fire, which ripped done 7 operation blocks successful the Wang Fuk Court lodging analyzable wherever much than 4,600 radical lived successful the city’s Tai Po district.

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“In bid to debar akin tragedies again, I volition acceptable up a judge-led autarkic committee to analyse the crushed down the origin and accelerated spreading (of the fire) and related issues,” Lee told reporters.

“We indispensable uncover the truth, guarantee that justness is served, fto the deceased remainder successful bid and supply comfortableness to the living,” helium said.

Asked by a newsman wherefore helium should proceed successful his occupation aft specified a disaster had unfolded successful the city, Lee said betterment was needed.

“Yes, we person identified failures successful antithetic stages. That is precisely wherefore we indispensable enactment earnestly to guarantee that each these loopholes are plugged truthful that those who are liable volition beryllium accountable,” Lee said.

“The shortcomings volition beryllium addressed. The bottlenecks volition beryllium addressed and we volition betterment the full gathering renovation system. To guarantee that specified things volition not hap again,” helium added.

The occurrence started past Wednesday day astir scaffolding that had been acceptable up astatine the lodging analyzable for attraction enactment connected the high-rise buildings.

Authorities fishy precocious winds and substandard integrative mesh and insulation foam utilized during the renovations prompted the accelerated dispersed of the blaze, which overwhelmed firefighting efforts.

Lee said those liable for the renovations had mixed substandard protective netting with authorised netting “so arsenic to cheat the inspection”. Fire alarms astatine the analyzable were besides not moving properly, officials person said.

Residents told of ‘relatively debased occurrence risks’

Investigators person completed their hunt and introspection of each but 2 of the 7 burned-out towers, uncovering bodies of residents successful stairwells and connected rooftops, trapped arsenic they tried to fly the flames. About 30 radical are inactive missing.

Hong Kong constabulary person arrested 13 radical for suspected manslaughter successful a increasing transgression probe into the fire, portion an anticorruption assemblage has arrested 12 radical successful probes related to the tragedy.

Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities past twelvemonth that they faced “relatively debased occurrence risks” aft complaining astir occurrence hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said, including astir the imaginable flammability of the mesh that contractors utilized to screen the scaffolding.

Tests connected respective samples of a greenish mesh that was wrapped astir bamboo scaffolding connected the buildings astatine the clip of the blaze did not conscionable fire-retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a quality league connected Monday.

The city’s Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan said contractors moving connected the renovations had utilized substandard materials successful hard-to-reach areas, hiding them from inspectors.

Amid a immense outpouring of grief successful the city arsenic good arsenic calls for accountability, section media person reported the arrests of respective radical who were making this call.

Miles Kwan, a 24-year-old student, was reportedly arrested by constabulary for “seditious intent” aft handing retired flyers demanding a authorities reappraisal of operation oversight successful the city. Kwan was released connected Monday, according to reports. Two different people, including a erstwhile territory councillor, were besides taken successful by police, according to section media reports.

Hong Kong pupil Miles Kwan, 24, portion of a radical that launched a petition demanding an autarkic probe into imaginable corruption and a reappraisal of operation oversight implicit a deadly occurrence astatine the Wang Fuk Court lodging complex, near a constabulary presumption successful a taxi connected Monday. https://t.co/dcSK6GIbma pic.twitter.com/5E2qNKumDA

— Jessie Pang (@JessiePang0125) December 1, 2025

Asked astir the arrests of radical demanding action, Lee said helium would “not tolerate immoderate crimes, peculiarly crimes that exploit the calamity that we person been facing now”.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issued statements criticising the reported arrests of those calling for accountability.

“Now is the clip for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently analyse the causes of the devastating occurrence … alternatively than silencing those who inquire morganatic questions,” Amnesty International said.

Human Rights Watch’s Asia Director Elaine Pearson said authorities successful Hong Kong should “not dainty those demanding answers for the tragic occurrence arsenic criminals”.

China’s nationalist information bureau issued a connection informing those who would usage the catastrophe to “plunge Hong Kong backmost into the chaos” of 2019 – erstwhile immense pro-democracy protests challenged Beijing and triggered a governmental crisis.

“We sternly pass the anti-China disruptors who effort to ‘disrupt Hong Kong done disaster’,” the bureau said successful a statement.

“No substance what methods you use, you volition surely beryllium held accountable and strictly punished,” it added.