HONG KONG – An independent committee formed to investigate the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which left at least 160 people dead, formally commenced its work on Friday, convening its first meeting.

The same day, the special administrative region government filed an application to dissolve the owners’ corporation management committee of the housing estate and to appoint Chinachem Group subsidiary Hop On Management Company as the administrator, to handle the day-to-day operations of the management committee.

David Lok, chairman of the Independent Committee established by the chief executive on Dec 12, convened the first meeting with members Chan Kin-por and Rex Auyeung on Friday, where they discussed the work priorities and work plan preparations, according to a government notification.

Lok reiterated that the committee will do its utmost in discharging its duties, aiming to complete work within nine months and submit a report to the CE.

The committee’s terms of reference have a wide scope with complex and wide-ranging issues to be covered. They include examining the causes and circumstances that led to the blaze and its rapid spread at Wang Fuk Court, construction safety and related issues concerning building maintenance and renovation works, as well as systemic problems related to the tendering process of large-scale building maintenance and renovation works.

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The report and recommendations will be disclosed to the public with the exception of information involving judicial proceedings, said Lok.

Meanwhile, speaking about the government's move to dissolve the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation management committee, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen told the media on Friday that the action will only help the owners of the housing complex to handle the various complicated legal procedures with expert assistance.

“And Hop On Management (Company) has already stated that it will serve the Wang Fuk Court residents on a pro bono basis, and that the Nina Wang Charity trustees have agreed to contribute HK$5 million for professional costs or any procurement costs related to the management of Wang Fuk Court.”

“So, our action is to help, we try to help the owners of Wang Fuk Court to handle all the very complicated legal procedures and accounting procedures with expert assistance,” she added.

Scaffold net practice note

The Buildings Department issued a practice note to registered contractors on Friday, setting out a new mechanism for sampling scaffold nets in the city announced last week. The new mechanism applies to scaffold nets used in repair projects and those used in new building works as well.

The department announced on its website the first batch of designated laboratories and will continuously update the list.

The Construction Industry Council, meanwhile, is preparing for collective bulk procurement and coordinating testing services. The Hong Kong Institute of Construction San Tin Training Ground has been selected as the site for the industry to arrange off-site sampling.

The SAR government and the CIC will work towards having the first batch of scaffold nets reinstalled within a month after procurement and testing.

Accommodation support

Total 613 residents are staying in hotel rooms through the coordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, and 552 residents are staying in youth hostels and camps, as of Friday morning. Another 3,503 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the Housing Society and Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.

According to the government, there is still a supply of more than 1,000 units currently that can provide affected residents with longer-term accommodation. The transitional housing and the Housing Society projects in different districts can altogether provide around 400 units at the moment. Moreover, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide a supply of around 900 units.

Support fund

Donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support, had reached about HK$3.5 billion, as of Friday noon.

Combined with the HK$300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around HK$3.8 billion.

Relief supplies

An online platform established by the government for donated supplies has received about 2,000 registrations, with approximately 30 percent submitted by various organizations.

Over 29,000 donation items, covering various categories, have been distributed so far.