Hong Kong leader apologises for Wang Fuk Court fire as housing secretary resigns

What the report found

Hong Kong's leader John Lee apologised on Thursday, 29 October, at a press conference held after an independent committee delivered its final report on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The blaze began on 26 November 2025 and engulfed seven of the complex's eight residential towers, killing 168 people. The report assigns partial responsibility to four government bodies, above all the Housing Bureau, and says the fire most likely started when a smoldering source, probably a cigarette, set paper materials alight before the flames spread. Lee told reporters that he felt the loss deeply in his role as head of the government.

“As chief executive and head of the government, I feel deep sorrow.”

Failures in oversight

The report describes the failings as systemic and widespread, and says officials ignored genuine and legitimate safety concerns raised by residents, who had warned in advance about the contractor and consultant hired for the renovation. Hearings showed that almost all life-saving fire safety measures failed on the day because of human error, the committee's chief counsel Victor Dawes told the commission, and he said the disaster was avoidable. In July, the committee's lawyers accused various government departments of a litany of failures and placed most of the blame on unscrupulous contractors. Authorities had earlier pointed to protective netting that did not meet fire safety standards and to flammable polystyrene boards that accelerated the spread of the fire. The report names Prestige Construction & Engineering and Will Power Architects among the main parties responsible for the works and their supervision, and it sets out 120 recommendations, including measures against fraudulent tendering for building maintenance contracts.

Resignation and interim replacement

Lee said housing secretary Winnie Ho had resigned, nearly a year after the fire. Michael Wong, undersecretary for finance, will take over in an interim capacity, and he also leads the task force organising the long-term resettlement of survivors. The press conference was called only two hours before it took place, and the announcement came as pressure on the government to hold officials to account had grown. Lee said the government will open an investigation into possible responsibilities within the administration, after deficiencies were found in the conduct of the Housing Bureau's independent control unit and of the Buildings, Fire Services and Labour departments. The Commission on Public Service has three months to recommend possible disciplinary or administrative sanctions under the second-tier accountability mechanism for departmental heads.

Prosecutions and the residents

The more than 4,600 people living in the complex included more than 1,700 residents aged 65 and over, and 114 of the 168 people who died were in that age group. Judge David Lok chaired the committee, which reviewed submissions from the government departments, a group of victims' families and other stakeholders. In June, authorities brought prosecutions against seven individuals and two companies in connection with the fire, and at least 35 people have been arrested. Calls for accountability have continued since the blaze, with some appeals asking for Lee himself to step down.

Residents in complex (more than)4,600

Residents aged 65 and over (more than)1,700

Deaths168

Deaths of people aged 65 and over114

Residents in complex (more than)

4600

Residents aged 65 and over (more than)

1700

Deaths

168

Deaths of people aged 65 and over

114

Data from the article text