Public Service Commission chairwoman Maisie Cheng said on Thursday that an inquiry team examining civil servants' accountability over the Wang Fuk Court fire will interview about 100 government officers across four departments, with 40 to 50 likely to be investigation targets.

She was speaking after Chief Executive John Lee announced the two-tier administrative-accountability investigation covering the Housing Department's Independent Checking Unit, Buildings Department, Fire Services Department and Labour Department.

Cheng said although the investigation will be challenging, the team will race against time and go all out to complete the work within three months as the CE requires.

She said preparatory work has been underway since August. The team will use the independent committee report and published materials as its starting point, then dig into shortfalls by individual civil servants – including possible breaches of the Civil Service Code – by seeking files and interviewing officers, she added.

"This team has already put all their effort to familiarise themselves with the information, especially those abundant information, made public by the independent committee," she said.

"With all this preparatory work and also the preparatory work done by the two members and myself in the past few months, we are very confident that although the investigation team and the support office will be officially set up today, we can commence the investigation immediately."

Civil Service Secretary Ingrid Yeung said after the probe, the team will decide which civil servants bear administrative responsibility and how serious it is – then recommend to the government whether to take disciplinary action or impose administrative sanctions.

She said the government will study the recommendations quickly.

Yeung added that for disciplinary cases, hearings will be held – and if charges are proven, the government can dismiss the officer, order compulsory retirement, demote, issue a reprimand or impose a fine.

Edited by Aaron Tam

Some 70 per cent of Hong Kong’s subdivided flats have been registered under a grace period system that will give landlords three years to ensure their properties meet minimum living standards laid out by a new law implemented eight months ago.

A subdivided unit in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho told the city’s legislature on Wednesday that around 75,000 of the city’s 110,000 subdivided flats have been registered with the authorities since the new regulatory regime came into effect in March.

The legislation gives landlords a one-year window to register their properties, ending on February 28 next year, after which a three-year grace period will kick in. They will then have to get their subdivided units up to standard — or convert them back into traditional flats — by February 28, 2030.

Under the new regime, landlords must register their properties regardless of whether they intend to keep running the flats as subdivided units.

Ho also said that the Housing Bureau, which she leads, has received applications for 250 subdivided flats to be certified as having met minimum living standards set out by the new law.

“Most of such applications were received in recent months, indicating that the market is familiarising with the minimum standards and accelerating the pace of alteration works,” Ho said.

The new law stipulates government-set living standards including a floor space of at least 86 square feet and a ceiling height of 2.3 metres, as well as a window and an individual toilet.

A subdivided unit in Jordan run by Rent to Rent Innovation, on February 14, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Meanwhile, 53 subdivided units have been granted certification to operate legally as “Basic Housing Units (BHU)” after meeting those standards, Ho told the legislature on Wednesday.

“These successful cases demonstrate that the minimum standards are practicable and feasible, and the market is willing to proactively comply with the BHU regime for compliant operation in the long run,” Ho said.

She also said that the bureau will not take “immediate and indiscriminate” enforcement actions after the grace period expires.

“Instead, a pragmatic, people-oriented and risk-based approach will be adopted when pressing ahead with enforcement actions in a reasonable, compassionate and orderly manner,” she said.

It was announced on Thursday that Ho will be stepping down as housing minister over the Wang Fuk Court fire last year which killed 168 people.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, who currently leads the government’s task force on long-term resettlement for survivors of the blaze, will be appointed as acting housing minister following Ho’s departure.

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Chief Executive John Lee said government officers who oversaw renovation works at Wang Fuk Court before the fire will be investigated under a new accountability system, with results to be announced in three months.

A report submitted by an independent committee tasked with probing the deadly inferno was released on Thursday.

The report identified "deficiencies and failings" by four government bodies in relation to the oversight of fire risks associated with renovation works at the Tai Po estate.

They are the Buildings Department, the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit, the Fire Services Department, and the Labour Department.

Lee said these departments will now be investigated under the second tier of the Heads of Department Accountability System.

Under the system, a Tier II investigation is carried out "if a serious problem occurs in a department or the problem is widespread or a repetitive, systemic one", or "there are indications that the head of department concerned is implicated in the problem".

The investigation will be commissioned by the Public Service Commission (PSC), an independent statutory advisory body which advises the Chief Executive on civil service appointments, promotions and discipline.

"The investigation will gather evidence regarding the individual responsibilities of officers involved, and assess whether there has been any dereliction of duty, violations of departmental regulations, or breaches of the Civil Service Code and other relevant civil service management provisions," Lee said.

"Based on the evidence and facts gathered, the investigation will provide recommendations on appropriate disciplinary actions and administrative sanctions to be considered against the individuals responsible for these shortcomings or deficiencies."

Lee added he expected "40 to 50 officers" to be investigated, and with even more witnesses to summon, he believed the PSC would be under great pressure to complete the probe in three months.

Edited by Aaron Tam

Pakistan briefly closed its airspace to Taiwanese cargo and passenger flights, Taiwan said on Thursday, suspecting China of being behind the unprecedented move.

An EVA Air Airbus A330-300 in the Bad Badtz-Maru Travel Fun livery. Photo: Wikicommons.

“We suspect definitely China was behind this,” Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi told AFP after confirming that Pakistan had closed and reopened its airspace to Taiwanese airlines.

China Airlines and EVA Air, which are both based in Taiwan, normally fly over Pakistan on their Asia-Europe route.

Last weekend, however, they began rerouting their Europe-bound flights further south over the Gulf or further north over Russia, AFP analysis of flight tracking data shows.

Some Taiwanese flights have resumed flying over Pakistan, according to the latest data.

“China Airlines and EVA received a notice from the Pakistan authorities that they will lift the ban, but only temporarily… till the end of the winter,” Chen said.

Neither airline would confirm that Pakistan had closed or reopened its airspace when contacted by AFP.

“We condemn Pakistan, and if China is behind this, I think that is a very bad practice to use its leverage over the countries in the Global South to do that,” Chen said.

“I think that gets in the way of the safety of the passengers and the smooth operation of the global supply chain.”

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg News on Wednesday that the airspace was closed in adherence with Beijing’s “One China policy”.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Thursday that “as far as we are aware, there are no obstacles for residents of the Taiwan region to travel internationally”.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.

Chen said it was the first time a country had closed its airspace to Taiwanese commercial flights.

In April, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight permits for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s flight to Eswatini, Taipei’s only African ally, forcing him to postpone the trip.

Taiwan president Lai Ching-te (centre) visiting Eswatini on May 2, 2026. Photo: Wang Yu Ching/Office of the President, via Flickr.

At the time, Taiwan blamed “intense pressure” from China for the revocation.

“China now learned that this could be an effective way to block our airspace access and therefore sort of further isolate Taiwan,” Chen said.

“We see this is the discovery that they can weaponise the airspace assets.”

Taiwan does not have formal diplomatic ties with Pakistan, which has close relations with China.

Chen said “many like-minded” countries had assisted Taiwan over the airspace closure.

“We are afraid that this might be a practice that spreads to other Global South countries,” Chen said.

“I think that is a major concern for not only for Taiwan, but also for other countries in the region and beyond.”

Pakistan and China have maintained close diplomatic and strategic relations for decades, often describing their partnership as an “all-weather friendship” that is “higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel”.

China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a major investor, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and has poured tens of billions of dollars into funding massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects.

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Chief Executive John Lee said the government will roll out comprehensive reforms to address shortcomings exposed by the Wang Fuk Court fire.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Lee said the reforms will cover seven areas.

First, authorities will crack down on bid-rigging activities in building maintenance projects by establishing specific criminal offences and incorporating them into the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

"This will empower law enforcement agencies to exercise statutory authority against suspects, including summoning individuals for questioning, demanding the submission of documents or materials, freezing assets, and confiscating proceeds of crime," he said.

The government will amend the law to empower the Competition Commission to combat bid-rigging through a mix of criminal and civil enforcement measures.

The commission will also team up with police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in the formation of an inter-departmental task force. The agencies will conduct joint investigations, strengthen intelligence gathering and information exchange.

To assist homeowners, an authority will be established to provide independent, reliable, and professional advice on building maintenance. It will take up all related services currently provided by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA).

Authorities will also review and reform the regulatory frameworks for building maintenance projects to better clarify roles and responsibilities, and to strengthen regulation of professionals and contractors by introducing stiffer penalties.

The Buildings Department will be restructured to strengthen its leadership and supervisory roles, while improving collaboration with the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) under the Housing Bureau.

A centralised database will be established to facilitate information sharing across government departments, such as past convictions and cases of professional misconduct in relation to building maintenance work.

"The government will also reform the existing complaint mechanism concerning building maintenance. The system will be integrated into the centralised database, utilising artificial intelligence to analyse and monitor the progress and outcomes... to ensure that public complaints are addressed appropriately," Lee said.

Finally, a steering committee, chaired by Chief Secretary Eric Chan, will be established to ensure the independent committee's 120 recommendations on the Wang Fuk Court inferno are implemented thoroughly and effectively.

Edited by Aaron Tam

An independent committee looking into the Wang Fuk Court fire on Thursday concluded that government regulators must share responsibility for the high death toll in the Wang Fuk Court fire, finding that private-sector misconduct was compounded by decades of official failure, regulatory loopholes and “slack enforcement”.

The committee concluded that had officials handled residents’ complaints properly and worked with a sense of crisis about facade fires on occupied renovation sites, private wrongdoing and site hazards “could have been rectified or removed before the fire.” Lax enforcement, it said, “inevitably” breeds lax private-sector performance.

The government bodies identified “should bear part of the responsibility for the high casualties”.

"Had the staff of the various government bodies handled the complaints properly and done their works seriously given the possible tragic consequences of fire in the building maintenance and repair sites, there was a real possibility that the misconduct of the private-sector parties and the fire hazards in Wang Fuk Court could have been rectified or removed before the fire," it said.

It found the Buildings Department (BD) and the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) primarily responsible for failed supervision of the Wang Fuk Court works. The failings were “systemic and multi-layered,” spanning policy design and day-to-day operations.

It listed six core failures: over-reliance on the integrity of building professionals; failing to design supervision around the tragic risk of fires at building maintenance and renovation sites; inadequate control of temporary materials such as scaffolding nets, canvas, foam boards and toe-boards; poor complaint handling; slack operational enforcement; and poor BD-ICU coordination, including the BD’s failure to audit the ICU.

Despite a contract worth more than HK$330 million covering the external walls of eight high-rise occupied blocks, the works were classified as “lower-risk” minor works under the Minor Works Control System rather than high-risk major works.

The committee said the Fire Services Department (FSD) failed its supervisory duty to assess and remove fire hazards at Wang Fuk Court and to supervise shutdowns of fire service installations and the contractors who certify them.

Despite 26 visits, FSD crews never inspected escape staircases and never detected access openings. Complaints about foam boards, smoking and blocked escapes were met with referrals and “merry-go-round” replies rather than effective action.

It also identified four Labour Department (LD) operational failures: smoking on site; foam-board fire hazards; verifying net fire-retardancy; and access openings.

After 16 visits, smoking complaints were marked “not justified”. The committee said that finding was “simply contrary to the reality”, given residents’ photographs, videos and WhatsApp messages.

Compared with the BD, ICU and FSD, the LD should bear “lesser” responsibility, the committee said – but still criticised a “just-following-the-books” attitude and departments that “passed the ball” until hazards fell through the cracks.

"There are already strong indications that persons with dubious or triad background are active in the building maintenance and repair industry. Given the probable presence of black sheep in the industry, it is regrettable that there was practicably no control or supervision over the actual execution of the building maintenance and repair works," the report says.

"As a matter of good governance, the services provided by the civil servants should be 'people-centred'", the committee said.

In the case that the complainant has raised a matter of genuine concern, they should “take an extra step to help” and should avoid saying “this is not our responsibility and go look elsewhere”, it added.

Edited by Aaron Tam

The main contractor and project consultant for Wang Fuk Court’s renovation project, and a registered inspector must bear the most significant accountability for a disastrous fire that took 168 lives nearly a year ago, an independent inquiry into the tragedy has concluded.

In a 16-chapter report spanning nearly 1,200 pages submitted to the government, the committee stated that Prestige Construction & Engineering and consultancy firm Will Power Architects were fully aware of the fire risks but ignored repeated complaints and safety concerns raised by residents of the Tai Po housing estate during maintenance works.

“They put the lives of all residents in Wang Fuk Court at serious risk, apparently with a view to maximising their financial gains,” the report read.

The committee slammed the two firms' conduct as going far beyond oversight or negligence, noting that they used substandard building materials and unsafe working procedures, such as non-fire-retardant scaffolding nets and flammable foam boards covering building windows.

The report also stated that Will Power and Prestige Construction should be held responsible for fire service installations that did not function properly on the day of the fire.

The committee found that Prestige Construction and its management, including Hau Wa-kin and Gordon Ho; as well as Will Power and its management Jason Wong; alongside Wilson Ng, a registered inspector employed by Will Power to oversee the renovation project, "deserve the most severe criticisms".

The committee also named other firms as culpable for the disaster to varying degrees.

These include Gain Profit Shed Industry, which was aware of and took part in a plot to temporarily replace non-fire-retardant scaffolding nets with fire-retardant ones just for site inspections by authorities.

The property management company for Wang Fuk Court at the time of the fire, ISS EastPoint Properties, was also slammed for allowing its staff to switch off the power supply to the fire alarm systems despite lacking the professional qualifications to do so.

Meanwhile, Victory Fire Engineering, the registered fire services contractor responsible for annual inspections and related works, was criticised for being passive in dealing with fire safety issues.

And the committee described China Status Development and Engineering Company as a "dummy" fire services contractor, saying the firm filed documents simply to feign compliance and satisfy regulators.

Edited by Aaron Tam

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A police officer has denied failing to properly label DNA samples taken from slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung’s ex-husband after his arrest more than three years ago. Testifying in the High Court on Thursday, Sergeant Lam Chun also denied using excessive force to subdue Alex Kwong Kong-chi as he was about to flee Hong Kong from Tung Chung Development Ferry Pier on February 25, 2023. Lam, who was a detective constable at the time, said Kwong sustained a 2cm-by-2cm abrasion on his...

Chief Executive John Lee on Thursday said he accepted the resignation of Winnie Ho as secretary for housing, saying she had to shoulder political responsibility for last year's Wang Fuk Court fire that killed 168 people.

At a press conference on Thursday, Lee and other principal officials also apologised and bowed.

"As chief executive and head of the government, I am deeply saddened. On behalf of the SAR government, I offer my apologies to the victims and the public at large," Lee said in his opening remarks.

He added that while Ho committed no personal wrongdoing, she must bear political responsibility as secretary for housing.

"I have taken various factors into account, including the specific roles played by officials, the connection between their policy portfolios and the incident, the nature of the issues involved, whether they pertain to policy or implementation, the performance of subordinates, and the significant workload that the political team must address moving forward," Lee said.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will serve as acting secretary for housing.

Edited by Aaron Tam

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho will step down over mismanagement that led to a deadly fire at a housing complex that killed 168 people, leader John Lee has said, almost a year after the tragedy.

Copies of the independent committee’s report on the Wang Fuk Court fire, on October 29, 2026. Photo: HKFP.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, who currently leads the government’s task force on long-term resettlement for survivors of the blaze, will be appointed as acting housing minister as Ho steps down.

The Tai Po fire broke out on November 26 last year, engulfing seven buildings in the government-subsidised Wang Fuk Court housing estate during large-scale renovation works. The blaze killed 168 people and displaced over 4,600 residents.

Following the inferno, survivors have called for government officials to be held accountable, recalling their earlier attempts to sound the alarm over the construction company and a consultancy overseeing the renovation project.

The much-anticipated briefing was announced on Thursday, just two hours before Lee was scheduled to meet the press at government headquarters.

The government said in a statement last week that the independent committee investigating the deadly housing estate fire had submitted its final report to Chief Executive John Lee.

Lee said earlier this month that authorities would “pursue accountability” over the deadly blaze, but did not comment on whether government officials would be investigated for misconduct or lose their jobs.

Public hearings into the cause of the Wang Fuk Court blaze have suggested that various government departments, including the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, the Fire Services Department, the Buildings Department, and the Labour Department, bore a share of the responsibility for the fire.

Senior Counsel Victor Dawes, representing the independent committee, said in July that the government “had an unshirkable responsibility to perform its regulatory role and protect the lives of residents.”

The report reads: “The relevant civil servants had ignored the real and legitimate safety concerns of the residents leaving them in a helpless and desperate situation. Most unfortunately, what happened afterwards show that the residents were right about their complaints.”

Wang Fuk Court’s residents and the general public, the report said, “have a legitimate and reasonable expectation that the regulators could have done more to protect their safety…and the evidence in the present case clearly shows that the regulators’ performance fell below that standard.”

“The failings were systemic and pervasive. They cannot be ignored[,]” it read.

This is a developing story – refresh for updates.

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This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. The Hong Kong government is set to release what is expected to be a deeply scathing report by an independent committee probing the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu holding a press conference alongside top officials to outline the administration’s consequent actions and systemic reforms. Sources said that at least one senior official would take the rap for the...

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At least one senior official will take the rap for the deadly Tai Po fire as part of a set of “bold, comprehensive and far-reaching reforms” the Hong Kong government will announce on Thursday afternoon, sources have told the South China Morning Post. The official’s expected resignation would be part of the political accountability that the government hoped to underscore along with major reforms on administrative accountability that will go right to the top, one source said. The shake-up is...

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