Hong Kong leader says probe into deadly blaze expected to conclude in 9 months

HONG KONG – Hong Kong will seek to wrap up an independent investigation into a fire that

killed at least 160 people

within nine months, the city’s leader said on Dec 12.

Mr John Lee spoke more than two weeks after the blaze ripped through seven high-rise residential towers and left Hong Kong searching for answers about the cause of the deadly tragedy, which also displaced thousands of residents.

The government has

launched an independent committee

to investigate the fire that erupted in Tai Po district, close to the border with mainland China, and named Judge David Lok, who chairs the Electoral Affairs Commission, to lead the body.

“They all have the passion and the love of Hong Kong, to be so courageous to take up this responsibility, and I am really thankful to them. I take my hat off to them,” Mr Lee said at a news conference.

The independent committee will need to investigate whether there is a systematic problem within the construction industry, conflicts of interest and improper collusion. It will then determine if there is bid-rigging in the sector when it comes to awarding contracts.

Residents are angry about the blaze, which took nearly two days to extinguish after it broke out on Nov 26. The authorities have said substandard building materials used in renovating the high-rise housing estate were responsible for fuelling the fire.

Mr Lee said the government would work with the city’s legislature to “drive institutional reform” in the aftermath of the fire, as there have been some public calls and petitions seeking greater government accountability and improved oversight of the construction sector.

Eager to soothe the public’s dismay, the authorities have launched criminal and corruption investigations into the blaze. REUTERS