A man from Hong Kong who lost three family members in mass fire in Tai Po recounted their “despair” during recent phone calls to his loved ones, telling a public hearing that he would talk about them for the rest of his life.
Lee Chun-ho testified Thursday before an independent committee investigating the November fire that killed 168 people at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po. Among the dead were Lee’s older brother, his 15-month-old niece, their elderly mother and a domestic worker employed by the family.
The family of six is ​​survived by Lee, his elderly father and his sister-in-law. All three survived the fire as they were at work when the fire broke out on November 26.
“I swear I will speak for (my family) for the rest of my life. This anger and despair… comes from my mother, my brother, Yan-yan (niece) and our worker,” he said in Cantonese. “Now that they cannot speak, I will speak for them.”
Recounting his experience that day, Lee said he was informed of the fire by a co-worker and rushed home shortly after 4pm. As he reached Tai Po Market, he already saw plumes of smoke rising from Wang Tai House, where his family lived.
Unable to enter his building because of a police cordon, Lee said he kept in touch with his mother at home via phone every 15 minutes. Meanwhile, he asked for help from the police officers at the scene.
As night fell, Lee had a video call with his brother, who was trying to keep their elderly mother and housekeeper awake. Around 9:30 p.m., he had a final video call with his family trapped in the fire.
Lee told the inquest his family were “extremely nervous, depressed and angry” at the time. On the ground, Lee told a police commander that his mother had a chronic illness and hoped firefighters could save the elderly man and his young granddaughter as soon as possible.
Along with his sister-in-law, Lee also called for help from firefighters on the ground, who relayed to the front line about his family trapped in their 19th-floor apartment. However, Lee heard first responders reply in Cantonese: “We can’t break through to the 14th floor. The fire is too big.”
Lee said he watched his brother fall into a coma during the video call as he and his sister-in-law continued to scream into the phone until the battery died on the other end.
complaints
Lee said his mother and brother had complained about the high price tag of the Wang Fuk Court renovation project to authorities, including the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission and the Home Affairs Department.
His mother also complained about workers smoking and damage to scaffolding nets to the renovation contractor, Prestige Construction & Engineering, he added.
See also: Survivors of the Tai Po fire recall the futile efforts of the whistler
He said he had lived in Wang Fuk Court for more than 40 years and that the tragedy could have been avoided if the government had taken residents’ complaints “seriously”.
Lee’s account appears to have moved the committee’s chairman, Judge David Lok, who vowed the inquiry would spare no effort to uncover the truth behind the tragedy.
Three Wang Fuk Court residents also testified during Thursday’s hearing, touching on issues such as “problematic” proxy votes during property meetings that made decisions on renovation issues.
Danny Fung, who lost his mother in the fire, criticized lack of verification of proxy votes. He said those who attended the meetings in person were checked for IDs, but proxy votes were not verified.
He also singled out Tai Po District Councilor Peggy Wong, alleging that Wong brought her “gang” to property owners’ board meetings, including one in January 2024. During that meeting, Prestige was selected as the renovation contractor and a highly controversial HK$330 million project was approved.
“Wong’s team was in line to get proxy votes,” he said, adding that some of “Wong’s people” intimidated residents.
The hearing resumes on Friday.
