The hearings have exposed gaps in the enforcement of safety rules and an attitude of avoiding blame among government departments
3-MIN READ3-MINAlice WuPublished: 2:30pm, 5 Apr 2026The independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades concluded the first round of hearings last week. It is essential that we get to the bottom of the human and systemic errors that led to the Tai Po inferno.There were many, as anticipated. Fragmentation of responsibility was rampant, which is probably expected for projects of this size with so many parties involved. If the government isn’t there to make sure that things are done properly, monitor and enforce the standards it has set to protect the lives and property of its residents, then it has failed at its most fundamental job.
From what we have seen from the reports on the first round of hearings, the government isn’t as efficient or effective as it would like us to believe despite the reforms that have been introduced.
