The Independent Committee in relation to the Wang Fuk Court fire has concluded its fourth round of hearings, exposing deeply rooted negligence and systemic failures across the building maintenance industry. In response to the glaring safety gaps, the government has preemptively rolled out a comprehensive six-point reform plan to overhaul industry regulations and prevent future tragedies.
Over the course of 24 hearings and testimonies from 77 witnesses, the committee uncovered a chain of critical safety lapses involving five key parties.
Contractors and subcontractors were found to have used highly flammable styrofoam despite the known risks and illegally modified fire escapes for worker access.
This was compounded by fire service contractors acting as "rubber stamps," with some directors admitting they never once visited the site while fire systems were disabled.
Furthermore, engineering consultants were accused of providing negligible supervision and engaging in potential bid-rigging through abnormally low contract prices.
Even property management and the Owners’ Corporation failed their duties, with staff ignoring fire hazards and rushing simultaneous construction across eight blocks without any viable emergency preparations.
To address these systemic issues, the government is shifting away from industry self-regulation toward a more rigid oversight model.
Starting in December 2025, authorities will implement mandatory inspections every four months for large-scale projects and utilize tech-driven random audits to eliminate the possibility of falsified records or pre-arranged "clean" inspections. Registered inspectors will now be legally required to submit formal supervision plans, facing potential prosecution for negligence.
Safety will be further tightened through mandatory material testing and a total ban on combustible exterior materials like styrofoam. To minimize cumulative hazards, multi-block estates will be legally required to phase their construction rather than working on all buildings at once. Finally, enhanced inter-departmental collaboration between the Buildings, Fire, and Labour departments will ensure a unified front in enforcement and risk identification.
The inquiry is currently paused until mid-June to await final forensic and bid-rigging reports.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
