Hong Kong leader John Lee apologised on Thursday, October 29, for the deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate that killed 168 people in November 2025, as the city’s housing secretary resigned after an independent inquiry found the government partly responsible for the disaster.
Lee and seven other top officials bowed in apology at a news conference held as authorities released a more than 1,000-page report by a judge-led panel into the blaze, the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.
“I am deeply saddened. I would like to apologise to the affected residents and the general public,” Lee said. “On behalf of the SAR government, I offer my apologies to the victims and the public at large.”
Housing minister resigns
Lee announced the resignation of Housing Secretary Winnie Ho, the first official to step down over the fire. Lee said Ho should “bear political responsibility”, although no personal wrongdoing was found against her. Ho had resigned on Wednesday, Lee said.
The report found that four government bodies, including the Fire Services Department, “should bear part of the responsibility for the high casualties caused by this tragic fire”. The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit “should bear a greater share of responsibility” than the others, the report said.
The government has set up an independent team to investigate which officials should be held accountable and to outline disciplinary actions, and Lee said a three-month investigation would examine whether staff in the four agencies were derelict in their duties.
The fire at Wang Fuk Court
The fire broke out on November 26, 2025, at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the Tai Po district, which was undergoing renovation work and was shrouded in scaffolding and dust netting. It ripped through seven 31-storey tower blocks, killed 168 people and displaced thousands of residents whose homes became uninhabitable. It was the deadliest fire in Hong Kong since 1948.
The complex was home to more than 4,600 residents, about 1,700 of them aged over 65. Of those who died, 114 people — about 70 percent — were aged 65 or older.
The inquiry found the fire was most likely started by a glowing source, likely a cigarette, that set paper materials alight on the flat roof between two apartments. Almost all fire safety measures failed on the day because of human errors, the inquiry heard, and residents had repeatedly raised safety concerns about the renovation work for more than a year before the fire.
The report detailed governance and supervisory failings, including widespread bid rigging, and said no government department took effective ownership of fire-safety issues, with complaints falling “into a vacuum”. It set out 120 recommendations, including measures against fraudulent tendering for building maintenance contracts. “The fire has been put out, but the reform has only just begun,” the report stated.
Reforms promised
Lee promised swift but extensive reforms to Hong Kong’s building industry and regulatory system, including criminalising bid rigging. Responding to criticism that the apology came more than 11 months after the fire, Lee said the immediate priorities after the disaster were assisting victims, providing temporary housing and investigating those responsible, and that the formal apology followed the completion of the fact-finding inquiry.
Public pressure for government accountability has grown since the fire, with calls for Lee and top officials to resign. Thursday’s apology and resignation are the first major accountability steps, but the disciplinary process for officials and the reform programme are only beginning.
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in the Wang Fuk Court fire? 168 people died in the November 26, 2025 fire at the Tai Po estate.
Who resigned? Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned, the first official to step down over the disaster.
What did the inquiry find? A judge-led panel blamed systemic governance and supervisory failings, holding four government departments partly responsible and making 120 recommendations.
Sources
- The Straits Times: Hong Kong fire probe prompts reforms and apology
- Channel NewsAsia: Hong Kong housing secretary resigns over deadly Tai Po fire
- The Korea Times: Hong Kong leader apologises for deadly fire
