Tai Po Fire Inquiry Panel Extends Deadline to Late October for Final Report Submission

The independent inquiry investigating the causes of the catastrophic fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong has postponed the submission of its final report until late October. This delay pushes the timeline back by one month, as the committee requires additional time for comprehensive document review, according to information obtained by the South China Morning Post.

A source confirmed to the SCMP on Saturday that the judge-led panel is now expected to present its findings to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in late October, missing the original September deadline established by the nine-month investigation period.

“We require additional time to organize the evidence. There is a significant volume of new material and documentation to review,” the source explained.

Established in December of last year following the devastating blaze at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court—which claimed 168 lives and displaced approximately 5,000 residents—the committee is charged with determining the fire’s causes, evaluating current regulations, identifying systemic issues regarding large-scale building renovations, and proposing necessary improvements.

Since commencing the inquiry on March 19, the panel has processed over one million files and heard testimony from 80 witnesses, including legal and fire safety experts, government officials, contractors, and residents of Wang Fuk Court.

During the proceedings, lead counsel Victor Dawes SC indicated that the disaster was driven by “human factors,” while also highlighting a pattern of systemic regulatory lapses and potential fraudulent activity by contractors.

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