'Various missteps led to high Wang Fuk toll'

The devastating fire that claimed 168 lives at Wang Fuk Court was not the result of a single error but a combination of missteps and systemic failures, a senior fire official testified on Wednesday.

Yiu Men-yeung, assistant director of New Territories South at the Fire Services Department, appeared before the independent committee investigating the Tai Po tragedy, where he said escape routes had been compromised long before the flames took hold.

According to Yiu, blocked exits, disabled alarms and flammable polystyrene window covers were among the factors contributing to the high number of casualties.

He pointed to illegal modifications made to staircase windows allowing workers access to external scaffolding. While intended for construction, these unauthorised openings proved disastrous when fire broke out at Wang Cheong House.

Yiu said smoke and intense heat rose rapidly through the building and poured into the stairwells.

"Normally, when someone enters a staircase, they should be safe because it should be protected, and they should be able to leave the block," he explained.

But Yiu said the heat forced residents on the upper floors to return to their flats, and they found themselves trapped.

The situation deteriorated as debris – including melting nylon, canvas and bamboo scaffolding – rained down and blocked exits, and even those who reached the ground floor were unable to escape.

Yiu noted that roughly 90 percent of the fatalities were in Wang Cheong House and the adjacent Wang Tai House, with many victims in Wang Cheong House found inside their flats.

Yiu, who is also the leader of the interdepartmental fire investigation task force, said the estate's fire alarm had been disabled, meaning residents received no warning to evacuate.

He added that polystyrene covers on windows lowered visibility, preventing people from gauging the severity of the threat.

"People in Wang Tai House couldn't see the fire embers from Wang Cheong House spreading," Yiu said.

The hearing also addressed the death of firefighter Ho Wai-ho.

Yiu said Ho had entered Wang Cheong House to look for survivors but became separated from his colleagues and mistakenly made his way into Wang Tai House.

Despite what happened, the senior firefighter confirmed that Ho had fully followed department protocol.

Yiu added that the Fire Services Department would continue to review operational procedures to enhance how colleagues coordinate with one another and carry out their duties in future emergencies.

Edited by Edmond Fong ...