Tai Po fire: public accountability needed to honour those who died

As people celebrate the Chung Yeung Festival, it is important to remember the harvest, family reunions, and the need to honor those who have passed away. The Tai Po fire, Hong Kong's worst disaster in recent memory, has left 168 people dead and caused extensive damage to homes. The fire raged for over 44 hours last November, sparking a sense of community but also revealing the frailty of our systems in protecting lives and property.

Questions soon arose about the failings of overlapping systems designed to prevent disasters, such as the Wang Fuk Court inferno. It has been revealed that the use of non-fire-retardant materials in renovations played a role, as did a malfunctioning fire alarm system. However, the investigation has also uncovered regulatory loopholes and long-standing issues of bid-rigging and industry corruption.

While smoking has now been banned on construction sites, the challenge lies in effective inspections and enforcement of regulations.

The government has set up a task force under the Public Service Commission to investigate the fire and ensure accountability. The independent committee's report has been delayed by a month, which is a cause for concern as the government seeks to regain public trust ahead of the Tai Po blaze's anniversary. Recently, the Secretary for the Civil Service expressed concerns about releasing the full report due to privacy and confidentiality issues. However, redactions, if executed properly, could alleviate these concerns.

The inquiry's lead counsel, Victor Dawes, has identified a "litany of failures" within the government departments, highlighting the unclear division of responsibility. The layers of overlapping bureaucracy, which contributed to the tragedy, cannot be addressed by introducing even more impenetrable processes. To honor the lives lost, it is imperative that the government commits to transparency and learning from this man-made disaster.