Hearing into deadly Tai Po fire continues after shocking revelations on first day

2026.03.20 02:20 Legal representatives prepare to head into the second day of the hearing. Photo: Edmond So This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by . A public evidential hearing into a devastating fire that engulfed a residential complex in Hong Kong and killed 168 people enters its second day on Friday. Victor Dawes SC, lead barrister for an independent judge-led committee overseeing the hearing, will continue his opening speech, a day after he cited a preliminary investigation report that the tragedy was likely to have been caused by cigarettes and outlined six identifiable causes. They included the use of combustible scaffolding mesh, deactivation of the fire alarm system, removal of the fireproof windows at emergency staircases and turning off the fire hoses for months, exceeding the legal limit of 14 days. Follow our live updates on the second day of the hearing. Reporting by Brian Wong, Leopold Chen and Lo Hoi-ying -Public hearing outlines 6 key failures behind Tai Po fire – as it happened -Firefighter killed in Tai Po blaze may have entered wrong building, inquiry told -Wang Fuk Court homeowners, residents to give evidence in fire probe -Wang Fuk Court homeowners to petition Hong Kong’s John Lee for meeting

原文链接: 南华早报