1. [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3] Hong Kong's Housing Secretary Winnie Ho Wing-yin resigned Thursday, accepting political responsibility for regulatory failures linked to a fire that killed 168 people last year. Chief Executive John Lee accepted her resignation after an inquiry identified serious supervisory lapses at the Independent Checking Unit (ICU), which falls under the Housing Bureau’s policy portfolio. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun took over as acting housing secretary on Thursday while retaining his existing post.
2. [para. 4][para. 5] At a news conference, Lee and seven other senior officials bowed and apologized to victims and the public. Lee said he was deeply saddened and apologized on behalf of the government to those affected and Hong Kong residents.
3. [para. 6][para. 7] The fire broke out on Nov. 26, 2025, at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, where extensive renovation work was underway. It burned for approximately 43 hours, engulfing seven of the complex’s eight residential towers. Victims ranged in age from 6 months to 98 years, including a firefighter, and the fire affected 1,984 households.
4. [para. 8][para. 9] The government-appointed inquiry found that the ICU had never proactively inspected the renovation site and approved work despite clear documentation showing unauthorized openings in fire-protected stairwells. Before an inspection prompted by residents’ complaints, the unit gave the contractor advance notice, allowing it to conceal violations. These failures significantly contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.
5. [para. 10][para. 11][para. 12] The inquiry began Dec. 19, 2025, held 30 hearings, heard evidence from 80 factual and expert witnesses, and reviewed more than 1 million files before submitting its final report on Oct. 22. The report detailed extensive violations, including the use of non-fire-retardant scaffolding netting and combustible foam panels, removed windows in smoke-proof stairwells, drained fire-service water tanks, and inoperable alarms and firefighting equipment.
6. [para. 13][para. 14] The government activated its two-tier investigation mechanism, referring the matter to the Public Service Commission to examine whether staff at the ICU, Buildings Department, Fire Services Department, and Labour Department neglected duties or breached rules. Lee said investigations should be completed within three months and could lead to disciplinary or administrative penalties.
7. [para. 15] Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption have charged seven people and two companies with 25 offenses, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Separately, the Labour Department brought 25 prosecutions over workplace-safety violations, the Buildings Department filed 259 charges against four people and two companies, and the Fire Services Department brought 12 prosecutions.
8. [para. 16][para. 17] The government plans to overhaul the Buildings Department and replace the Independent Checking Unit, strengthening leadership, project approvals, site supervision, and coordination. A new Public Housing Building Control Unit will be established in November, assigning a dedicated team to each renovation project with a liaison officer to support residents.
9. [para. 18][para. 19][para. 20] The government will make bid rigging in major building-renovation projects a specific criminal offense under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, with powers to compel information, freeze assets, and confiscate criminal proceeds. Proposed amendments to the Competition Ordinance would add criminal enforcement, with penalties including up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to HK$10 million ($1.3 million) or three times the commercial gain. Police, the anti-corruption agency, and the Competition Commission will form a joint task force to investigate suspected bid rigging.
10. [para. 21][para. 22][para. 23] A new Building Renovation Support and Services Bureau will be established as a nonstatutory company wholly owned by the Financial Secretary Incorporated, providing independent professional advice to private-building owners. Hong Kong has earmarked HK$300 million for the initiative — HK$100 million in startup funding and HK$200 million in fee subsidies — with services expected to begin in January 2027.
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