An electrician, who was not licensed to deal with fire safety equipment, has told a public hearing investigating the fire at Wang Fuk Court that he unknowingly turned off all fire alarms months before the tragedy.
Two workers – an electrician and a carpenter – at asset management company ISS EastPoint testified on Wednesday, the seventh day of the independent committee’s hearings.
When the deadly fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in November, fire alarms did not go off automatically, delaying the evacuation of residents from a blaze that eventually claimed 168 lives.
Electrician Law Kwok-shui told the independent committee that he and another colleague, carpenter Lee Shing-foo, were ordered by ISS to help Prestige, the construction firm responsible for the large-scale renovation of the property, to release water from all water tanks from last May to August.
The procedure was in preparation for the maintenance of the water tank, part of the HK$330 million renovation project at the property.
Carpenter Lee said Wednesday that he told Law that only workers with a fire safety license can handle related equipment, including water tanks.
Law – who does not hold such a license – said he informed ISS EastPoint officer Lok Sin-ying, who transferred the duty to him, about the request. But he said Lok told him to follow orders, a claim Lok denied during her testimony.
She said that if workers have any hesitation, they should consult with senior management.
In the end, Law drained the water tanks, something he had no experience doing. Before doing so, he turned off the main switches after he said he remembered learning from Victory Fire — a fire safety contractor on the property — that this was required before releasing water from the tanks.
Asked by senior counsel Victor Dawes, a lawyer representing the independent committee, if he knew that turning off the switches would disable the fire alarms, he said he did not.
“I wouldn’t have done this (if I had known),” he said in Cantonese.
When asked by Dawes why he followed orders even though he knew he was not qualified, Law said he feared he would be punished if he refused.
Dawes said that according to the Department of Fire Services, workers do not need to turn off the main switches to drain the water tanks. Law said he didn’t know about that.
Lee said he and Law had keys to the pump rooms where the main switches are, with Lee opening the doors and standing outside while Law went in to turn off the switches. Prestige workers also entered the rooms.
Lam said that apart from him, only Lee and several Prestige staff knew that the main switches had been turned off before the fatal fire.
‘I didn’t know’
ISS EastPoint Technical Officer Lam Man-yan also testified Wednesday.
He presided over the Wang Fuk Court from July 2019 to April 2025, where he was the supervisor of Law and Lee.
Lam quit his job after that and rejoined in October 2025. He confirmed that it was during his absence that the main switches went off.
When questioned by attorney Dawes, Law said he was unaware the fire water tanks were empty and that the main switches had been turned off when he returned in October.
Lam also said he was responsible for tendering a water tank replacement project in April, but “didn’t know” why the renovation of the tanks was taking so long.
He said he does not even know the contractors of the water tank repair projects.
Several times when asked by Judge David Lok, the committee’s chairman, Lam replied, “I didn’t know,” prompting Lok to ask what he was “really responsible for.”
Lam replied that he was responsible for “troubleshooting” and paperwork related to maintenance projects at Wang Fuk Court.
“You seem to think I’m trash. I’m not,” Lam said in Cantonese.
