Hong Kong fire report to put government accountability in focus

An independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades will submit its final report to Chief Executive John Lee on Oct 22, local media reported, setting up a test of his pledge to pursue accountability.The judge-led panel investigated the blaze that killed 168 people at a residential complex in Tai Po last November. Its report could put renewed scrutiny on government oversight and whether senior officials will face disciplinary action.The committee will announce the submission in a statement without holding a press conference, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified sources. Lee is not expected to respond publicly on Oct 22, according to HK01.A redacted version could be released as early as next week, with some information withheld to avoid prejudicing criminal proceedings, the reports said.The authorities have charged seven people and two companies with offences including manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud.The blaze engulfed seven of the Wang Fuk Court estate’s eight towers, drawing international attention to fire safety in one of the world’s most densely built cities.The fire likely started with a discarded cigarette butt and spread through combustible materials that enveloped the buildings while they were under renovation, according to earlier findings by the committee.The task force’s lead counsel, Victor Dawes, argued in a closing submission in July that contractors and other private parties bore primary responsibility, while the government should be “held partly responsible”.“As the body which designed and operated the entire regulatory framework, the government bears a share of the responsibility for allowing the Wang Fuk Court fire to happen,” according to his written report.The panel’s final report is expected to closely align with Dawes’s submissions, according to the SCMP.Lee pledged earlier in October that the government would “implement comprehensive reforms as soon as possible and pursue accountability” upon receiving the committee’s report.Led by High Court Judge David Lok, the committee was established last December and heard from 80 witnesses between March and July. It received more than a million files, including photographs, videos and documents.Originally due to report by the end of September, the panel sought a one-month extension, citing the large amount of evidence. BLOOMBERG