A massive fire at a residential property in Tai Po in November was “most likely” caused by smoking, a public inquiry has heard, as a committee investigating the fatal disaster began hearing evidence on Thursday.
The Wang Fuk court’s independent fire investigation committee also heard that firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died in the line of duty on November 26, likely fell to his death after a “chimney effect” sent the flames shooting through the building blocks.
Thursday marked the first day of public hearings into the fire, which killed 168 people and displaced thousands living in the Tai Po residential complex. It was the city’s deadliest fire in nearly eight decades.
The investigation is expected to uncover previously undisclosed photos, videos, documents, testimony and records of internal communications between contractors responsible for a major repair job at the property.
Senior Counsel Victor Dawes, lead counsel for the independent committee, said in his opening statement that “human error” had contributed to the huge loss of life.
“Based on the available information, it appears that all life-saving fire safety measures did not work due to human error,” Dawes said in Cantonese at the hearing held in the downtown City Gallery.
Wang Fuk Court was undergoing a major renovation when the fire broke out. The fire alarm in the seven blocks engulfed in flames had been disabled, Dawes said, while windows on fire escapes had been turned into temporary “entry points” for construction workers to exit the buildings on bamboo scaffolding.
Smoking: the most likely cause
Evidence suggests the fire started in a well outside the first floor of Wang Cheong House and was discovered by workers just before 2.45pm on 26 November.
CCTV footage from the first floor showed smoke and ash as early as 2.33pm. In another video, workers on scaffolding outside the fifth floor could be heard warning others of a fire and asking if anyone had smoked.
“An inter-departmental investigation team has concluded that it is highly likely that someone lit a cigarette, which ignited the flammable material accumulated in the well,” Dawes said.
Police officers found a large amount of charred cardboard, plastic bottles, utensils and cigarette tins under the debris in the well, he added.
While there was no direct evidence of anyone throwing a cigarette into the well that day, there was evidence that workers had smoked during the repair work, Dawes said.
A video showing workers smoking on the roof of a Wang Fuk Court building on November 26 was played during the hearing, with Dawes pointing out that residents had long complained about the issue to contractors and authorities.
The inter-departmental team also ruled out the possibility of a gas leak or electrical fault causing the fire due to lack of evidence, the lawyer said.
Ho Wai-ho’s last moments
Dawes also detailed the final mission of firefighter Ho, 37, dispatched from Sha Tin Fire Station.
Ho was among the first responders and was assigned to a rescue mission with two colleagues on the 27th floor of Wang Cheong House, the first building to catch fire.
But the footage showed Ho entering the adjacent Wang Tai home alone at 3.15pm. A camera inside the elevator caught him going up to the 25th floor, where he got out.
Dawes said it was likely Ho entered the wrong building without realizing it, due to the “chaotic” situation at the time.
At 3:22 p.m., seven minutes after he was last seen on camera, Ho radioed: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. I’m stuck on the 30th floor.”
At 15:55, he was discovered on the ground outside Wang Tai House without his left glove, left boot, oxygen mask and a hammer. He was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
Officers later found his glove and mask in the elevator hall on the 31st floor, with an autopsy showing carbon monoxide inhalation and multiple burns and broken bones.
“The most likely scenario was that … Ho got to the 31st floor, broke the window and tried to get out there before he fell to his death,” Dawes said.
At the start of Thursday’s hearing, the commission’s chairman, Judge David Lok, said the inquiry would be conducted in an “open, fair and impartial” manner.
Witness arrangements and schedules will be announced as the hearing progresses, Lok added.
