School apologizes after teacher links Tai Po blaze casualties to students’ fire drill attitudes

A secondary school has apologized after a teacher was heard telling students that casualties in the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire might have been fewer if residents had taken fire drills “more seriously” when they were younger, remarks that have drawn widespread criticism online.

A video circulated on social media in recent days shows what is believed to be a male teacher speaking to students during a fire drill and referencing the fatal blaze as a warning example.

Subtitles in the clip quote the speaker as saying, “Imagine the Tai Po fire, you are part of the victims. How many chances in a lifetime do you get to rehearse?”

He is also heard saying, “Ask the Tai Po residents whether, at the fire scene, they would feel that if they had taken fire drills more seriously when they were students, there would have been fewer casualties,” and adding that “fire drills are meant to train your attitude.”

The remarks triggered strong backlash from netizens, who accused the teacher of being insensitive to victims and conveying misleading ideas.

In a statement posted on its website on Tuesday, Ma Kam Ming Charitable Foundation Ma Chan Duen Hey Memorial College apologized for what it described as the inappropriate wording used by an individual staff member.

The school said it has been informed of the incident, activated its crisis management mechanism, and reported the matter to the Education Bureau and its sponsoring body.

“The school sincerely apologizes for the concern caused to the community and the public by the inappropriate wording of the staff member,” the statement said, adding that the school will meet with the staff member concerned, review the incident, and formulate improvement measures to prevent a recurrence.

The school also said it has activated a crisis handling team to monitor students’ emotional needs and provide support, and has issued a notice to parents reminding them to pay attention to their children’s emotional well-being.

The Education Bureau said it has contacted the school and requested that it seriously follow up on the incident and submit a detailed written report. It added that it will continue to maintain close communication with the school and provide appropriate advice and support.

The fire drill in question was held on January 30. The Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire occurred two months ago, with the final death toll standing at 168.