The Independent Committee investigating the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court has appointed two professors from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to assist in examining the incident.
The appointees are Chair Professor of Building Science and Fire Safety Engineering Asif Sohail Usmani and Associate Professor and Associate Head (Partnership) of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Jiang Liming.
The pair will submit written reports and provide oral testimony at upcoming hearings, offering expert opinions to support the committee’s investigation.
They are expected to cover several key areas, including the cause of the fire, supervision of fire service installations, building renovation safety, inspection mechanisms, and the roles of government departments, authorized persons, and contractors.
According to PolyU, Professor Usmani specializes in structural and fire safety engineering, as well as fire dynamics. His research focuses on enhancing the resilience of infrastructure and communities in the face of both man-made and natural disasters.
Professor Jiang’s research centers on building fire safety and construction automation. His work on “active opening for fire spread mitigation” earned him the Philip Thomas Medal of Excellence from the International Association for Fire Safety Science.
Jiang has served on multiple professional bodies, including three local committees under the Buildings Department, the Education Committee of the International Association for Fire Safety Science, and the Fire and Life Safety Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
He is also co-chair of the 12th International Conference on Structures in Fire and vice-director of the International Joint Research Laboratory on Smart Fire Safety Engineering at Tongji University.
The committee formally began operations last December to investigate the cause of the November blaze, which claimed 168 lives, and to develop recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
