Hong Kong Councillor Peggy Wong Initiates Police & ICAC Probes into Deadly Tai Po Fire
A devastating fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po district has prompted district councillor Peggy Wong Pik-kiu to file formal complaints with both the police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Wong announced her decision on social media, emphasizing that the catastrophic blaze at Wang Fuk Court was not a natural disaster but a "man-made tragedy" resulting from years of safety negligence.
The Tai Po Tragedy: A Man-Made Disaster
The inferno, which reached a No. 5 alarm – the highest level in Hong Kong – erupted last Wednesday afternoon, engulfing seven of the eight buildings within the residential complex. As of Sunday, the death toll tragically stood at 146, with another 79 people sustaining injuries, making it one of the deadliest blazes in decades for the city.
Councillor Wong, representing the Tai Po South constituency, highlighted her previous association with the complex. Last year, she served as a consultant to Wang Fuk Court's incorporated owners. During her tenure, in January of the previous year, the owners passed a resolution to award a HK$330 million renovation contract to Prestige Construction & Engineering Company.
Renovation and Investigations Underway
At the time of the fire, the complex was actively undergoing this renovation project, which had commenced in July of the previous year. Observers noted that the presence of extensive bamboo scaffolding and protective green mesh nets surrounding the buildings might have significantly accelerated the rapid spread of the flames.
Investigations have already led to arrests. On Thursday morning, three individuals linked to Prestige Construction & Engineering Company – two directors and a consultant – were apprehended on suspicion of manslaughter. Wong stressed that the victims' immense sacrifice serves as a crucial warning for all Hong Kong citizens, vowing that their lives would not have been lost in vain. She intends for her reports to initiate thorough probes into potential corruption within Wang Fuk Court’s current incorporated owners, alongside the police investigation into the fire's cause and responsibility.