The deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po has been preliminarily located at a sheltered scaffolding area between the first and second floors of Wang Cheong House, according to Andy Yeung Yan-kin, Director of Fire Services.
The discovery was made after reviewing on-site records and the initial assessment upon arrival at the scene, said Yeung. However, the cause of the fire still requires further in-depth investigation.
Yeung said the Fire Services Department will conduct computer simulations and construct a one-to-one scale model, along with real-environment fire simulations, to determine the point of origin.
The firefighting and rescue operations have now been completed, and the authorities have established a dedicated task force to shift their focus to investigating the cause of the fire.
Reflecting on the day of the fire (Nov 26), Yeung noted that the rescue efforts faced significant challenges. Firefighters arrived at the scene five minutes after receiving the alert and found intense flames on the building's exterior walls spreading rapidly.
The burning bamboo poles on the exterior walls snapped, causing a large amount of scaffolding to collapse from the outer structure of the building. One firefighter lost consciousness after being struck by a falling bamboo pole and was subsequently hospitalized.
Yeung pointed out that the investigation revealed that during the fire, only one of the eight affected buildings had its fire alarm activated. An investigation is currently underway to determine why the alarms in the other seven buildings failed to operate normally.
He mentioned that property owners are required to appoint certified fire service contractors to inspect their buildings' fire safety systems each year and submit the reports to the Fire Services Department.
The authorities are urging the Fire Service Installation Contractors Association (FSICA) and the Property Management Services Authority to expedite the inspection of fire safety systems in all buildings across Hong Kong.
Additionally, he expressed gratitude for the support from the National Fire and Rescue Administration and the Guangdong fire authorities, who provided drones equipped with thermal imaging analysis, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the rescue efforts.
In particular, these thermal imaging devices assisted in monitoring the scene and helped search for individuals awaiting rescue.
