Hong Kong chief executive apologizes after report blames corruption for deadly fire
The 1,154-page investigation found that contractors cut corners and regulators ignored complaints, leading to the deaths of 168 people in the territory's worst human-caused disaster in decades.
By Anthony Shevchenko ·
Residents of the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po will face new regulatory oversight following a government announcement on Thursday that four departments will undergo a three-month investigation. The review follows the release of a detailed report that attributes the November 26, 2025, fire to systemic failures in the construction and building management sectors.
The blaze engulfed seven of the eight towers in the complex, killing 168 people. The victims included 110 women and 58 men, with ages ranging from six months to 98 years old. Thousands of other residents were displaced from their homes while the estate underwent major renovations.
John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, offered a formal apology at a news conference. He bowed alongside seven other senior officials. Lee described himself as deeply saddened by the impact of the disaster on the community.
"In my capacity as chief executive, I apologize to all the victims and members of the public," Lee said. He stated that after self-reflection, the government would roll out a large number of reform measures.
Lee announced that Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned on Wednesday. She is the first official to lose her job over the fire. Lee said Ho should bear political responsibility for the disaster, even though no evidence of personal wrongdoing was found.
A government-appointed independent committee released a 1,154-page report that was partially redacted upon its public release. The document stated that the fire was most likely caused by a lit cigarette that ignited combustible materials nearby. Testimony during public hearings earlier in the year indicated that construction workers had been smoking on site.
The report found that renovation contractors used non-fire-retardant scaffolding nets and flammable foam boards to cover windows. It noted that these materials put the lives of all residents at serious risk, apparently to maximize financial gains.
The committee identified Prestige Construction & Engineering Co. and project consultant Will Power Architects Co. as the main culprits responsible for the inferno. It said the companies cut corners in numerous aspects of the work.
Both firms and seven individuals were criminally charged in June on 25 counts. These charges include manslaughter, money laundering, and tax evasion.
The report described the building maintenance and renovation sector as a corrupt ecosystem. It recommended that bid-rigging be criminalized. The committee also criticized the government for a slack enforcement attitude, noting that residents had repeatedly raised safety concerns that fell into a vacuum.
"The Committee finds that no Government department took effective ownership of various fire safety issues," the report said. It concluded that decades of failure by bodies in positions of responsibility contributed to the high fatalities.
John Burns, a professor emeritus of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, told NBC News that Lee's apology was a positive step. Burns noted that the chief executive had not spoken about political accountability for years.
