The bereaved families of the deadly high-rise fire in Hong Kong called on the government to deliver justice after Chief Executive John Lee issued an official apology 11 months after the Chinese territory’s worst human-caused disaster in decades.
Chief Executive Lee and seven other senior officials bowed in apology after an investigative report revealed that regulatory failures and corruption contributed to the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po district in November 2025.
“In my capacity as chief executive, I apologise to all the victims and members of the public,” he said in a press conference, as quoted by NBC News.
The 68-year-old leader also announced that Housing Secretary Winnie Ho had resigned to take responsibility for the deadly fire, making her the first senior official to step down over the incident.
Lee pledges sweeping reforms
Lee also vowed to implement sweeping systemic reforms and ensure administrative accountability within three months to prevent a similar disaster.
“After self-reflection, I have considered that the government should roll out a large number of measures to reform, and a lot of work has to be carried out,” he said.
In particular, Lee said the government would establish a new criminal offence to punish bid-rigging in building maintenance and renovation projects.
He pledged to reform Hong Kong’s construction sector and regulatory system in line with the investigative report’s recommendations.
Other officials added that the administration may explore using artificial intelligence and drones equipped with infrared cameras to detect smokers on construction sites.
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Investigative report blames govt, contractors for deadly fire
His remarks came after a 1,154-page report found that the government was “partially responsible” for the fire, which killed 168 people and displaced residents from their homes.
According to the report, four government agencies, including the Fire Services Department, “should bear part of the responsibility for the high casualties caused by the tragic fire.”
Similarly, the report said the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit “should bear a greater share of responsibility.”
Apart from government departments, the report stressed that renovation contractors must also be held accountable for using non-fire-retardant scaffolding nets and flammable foam boards as window covers, endangering residents’ lives.
It further noted that the main contractor, Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., and project consultant Will Power Architects Co., had “cut corners in numerous aspects.”
The findings also noted that the devastating fire was likely triggered by a lit cigarette that ignited nearby combustible materials.
Bereaved families demand justice, others decry late apology
However, the bereaved families said Lee’s apology was insufficient, stressing that the government must deliver justice rather than merely acknowledge its failures and calling for more proactive action.
Yip Ka-kui, who lost his wife and home in the blaze, said the heads of the departments mentioned in the report must resign, adding that he did not consider the government’s apology adequate.
Meanwhile, former residents of Wang Fuk Court sharply criticised the government, arguing that its apology had come too late.
Dorz Cheung, 34, said the government and senior officials had ample time to apologise after the fire and that the belated apology only made him angrier.
“Why did it take 11 months to come out and apologise? Shouldn’t it have been the day after the incident? I feel somewhat angry and aggrieved,” he told the South China Morning Post.
However, John Burns, a professor emeritus of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, said Lee’s apology was still “very significant,” despite coming late.
“Today, we have the chief executive talking about this directly and talking about a system of political accountability. That’s a positive step,” he said.
Nevertheless, many viewed the long-overdue apology as the bare minimum, stressing that the government must demonstrate accountability through concrete action to console the bereaved and prevent similar tragedies.
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