Legal counsel for an independent panel investigating the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades delivered closing remarks at the final public inquiry session on Friday, July 17, 2026. The 600-page closing statement focused on the causes of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po and the roles and responsibilities of involved parties.

The fire, which broke out on November 26, 2025, killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. At the time, the estate was undergoing a HK$336 million renovation project.

On Thursday, government counsel Jenkin Suen SC presented the closing statement, denying direct government responsibility for the blaze. Instead, Suen said that private stakeholders bore the primary blame. He specifically accused renovation contractor Prestige Construction and Engineering, consultant Will Power Architects, and registered inspector Wilson Ng Yeuk of abusing the regulatory mechanism, which directly led to the outbreak of the fire.

The inquiry aims to provide answers regarding the tragedy and clarify accountability among the parties involved.

Sources: