The independent committee investigating the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po submitted its report to Chief Executive John Lee on Thursday.

Lee said in a statement that he has received the report, and the government will seek legal advice before publishing it.

"As various individuals implicated in the Wang Fuk Court fire have been charged with different criminal offences, it is incumbent upon the government to identify and consider how best to handle those parts of the report that may be involved in the criminal trials, so as not to prejudice the court proceedings," he said.

The report, understood to run into hundreds of pages across more than 10 chapters, has been prepared in both Chinese and English.

"The government will make comprehensive reforms in areas including the supervision of building maintenance works, building management and regulation for fire service installations," Lee added.

"The 2026 Policy Address published in September has launched various priority reform initiatives, while the government has already taken steps to prepare for comprehensive reforms.

"We will carefully study the committee's report, actively follow up on its recommendations, and shortly announce the plans for the comprehensive reforms and pursuing accountability."

Lee also thanked the chairman of the independent committee Justice David Lok and its members for their efforts.

The committee held 30 hearings across six rounds between March and July, summoning resident representatives, staff from government departments and fire service contractors to give evidence.

During closing submissions in mid-July, the committee's lead representative, senior counsel Victor Dawes, identified four bodies as bearing regulatory responsibility: the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit, the Buildings Department, the Fire Services Department and the Labour Department.

He argued that reform needed to be structural, not piecemeal.

The senior counsel representing the government, Jenkin Suen, said the direct cause of the fire was unlawful conduct by private stakeholders including contractors.

He said it would be unfair and inconsistent with the facts to place all blame on the government, though he acknowledged there were weaknesses in the regulatory system that allowed such conduct to go undetected.
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Last updated: 2026-10-22 HKT 12:46



Edited by Edmond Fong