Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee, apologised on Thursday 29 October for the Wang Fuk Court fire, which killed 168 people in November 2025, as his government released an independent report into the disaster and his housing secretary, Winnie Ho, resigned, BBC News reported.
An Apology and a Resignation
At a press conference, Lee said he was “deeply sorrowful” and apologised, according to BBC News.
“I apologise to the victims as well as the city’s residents”, he said.
Lee and seven other officials bowed in apology, The Guardian reported. Ho resigned to take accountability, according to the BBC.
The government released the Independent Committee’s report on 29 October, the Hong Kong Government said. Lee had received it on 22 October. Parts of it are redacted to avoid prejudice to criminal prosecutions, and the full report will follow once those proceedings end, the government said.
What the Report Found
The report found that the fire was most likely caused by a “glowing source, likely a cigarette” igniting “paper materials” at the complex, which was under renovation at the time, BBC News reported.
According to the BBC, the committee found that contractors had used substandard materials, scaffolding nets that were not fire retardant and inflammable foam boards over windows. They had also used fake paperwork to “feign compliance”, the report said.
It found “misconduct” by the private sector and “decades of failure” by government bodies, the BBC reported.
Four departments “should bear part of the responsibility”, The Guardian reported. The Hong Kong Government named them in a release from the Public Service Commission: the Independent Checking Unit, the Buildings Department, the Fire Services Department and the Labour Department.
The report itself put it this way, according to The Guardian: “The fire has been put out, but the reform has only just begun.”
The Building and the Dead
Wang Fuk Court, in Tai Po, was built in the 1980s and housed about 4,600 people, BBC News reported. Nearly 40% of them were 65 or older. Among the dead was a firefighter, Ho Wai-ho, who was 37.
It was the deadliest fire in a residential building anywhere in the world since 1980, according to The Guardian.
The Reforms Promised
Lee promised to make bid-rigging a criminal offence, with long jail terms and heavy fines, BBC News reported. He also said the housing bureau unit that carries out independent checks would be replaced.
Officials said artificial intelligence and drones fitted with infra-red cameras may be used to detect people smoking on construction sites, according to the BBC.
The Criminal Cases and the Families
Charges including manslaughter have been filed against seven individuals and two companies, and at least 35 people have been arrested, The Guardian reported.
Some bereaved families said the apology fell short, according to The Guardian.
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Three Months to Name Names
The report does not settle who in government is personally responsible. The Public Service Commission has formed an investigation team to examine the responsibilities of individual civil servants, and that work is due to finish within three months, the Hong Kong Government said.
Maisie Cheng, chair of the Public Service Commission, set out its scope. “The purpose of this investigation is to look into the deficiencies and failings of individual civil servants in discharging their duties relating to the oversight of the fire risks associated with the works at Wang Fuk Court.”
The full report will follow only once the criminal proceedings end, the government said.
Sources: BBC News, “Wang Fuk Court: Hong Kong leader John Lee apologises for deadly high-rise fire at Tai Po”, 29 October 2026 (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5yn9770pgvo); The Guardian, “Hong Kong’s leader apologises for residential fire that killed 168 people”, 29 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/29/hong-kong-john-lee-apologises-wang-fuk-court-fire-killed-168-people); Hong Kong Government, “Government releases report of Independent Committee in relation to fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”, 29 October 2026 (https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/29/P2026102900481.htm); Hong Kong Government, “Public Service Commission forms Investigation Team to investigate individual responsibilities of civil servants relating to overseeing of fire risks associated with works at Wang Fuk Court”, 29 October 2026 (https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/29/P2026102900644.htm)
Photo: inmediahk, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, at a press appearance in October 2023.
