Hong Kong leader apologises for deadly Tai Po fire, pledges reforms
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee issued a formal apology on Thursday for the catastrophic high-rise fire that claimed 168 lives last November, pledging sweeping overhauls of the city's building sector and regulatory enforcement as Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned following a critical inquiry into systemic government oversights.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 12:42 PM 29 October 2026
Hong Kong leader John Lee apologised on Thursday for the deadly blaze that killed 168 people in the city last November, promising extensive reforms to its building industry and regulatory system.
Lee was speaking shortly before he was due to release a lengthy report by the judge-led panel that is expected to detail a series of regulatory and supervisory failings in Hong Kong's building-renovation system.
Lee also announced the resignation of Hong Kong's Housing Secretary Winnie Ho, saying that four government bodies bore partial responsibility.
Ho was the first official to resign over the inferno. The Hong Kong government, after receiving the committee's report last week, is expected to decide which individuals and officials, if any, should be held accountable, as well as outlining disciplinary actions and a reform plan.
The blaze that ripped through seven 31-storey tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, which was undergoing renovation work in the northern Tai Po district, was the deadliest in the city since 1948. Thousands of residents were displaced after their homes became uninhabitable.