HONG KONG (AFP): A devastating fire that ripped through a Hong Kong apartment complex last year and killed 168 people was "preventable", lawyers told a committee investigating the blaze in closing statements on Friday.
The November 26 fire at Wang Fuk Court was the world's deadliest residential building blaze since 1980.
It engulfed seven of the eight high-rise blocks, which were covered in bamboo scaffolding, protective netting and foam boards for renovations.
Almost all fire safety measures failed that day because of human errors, the judge-led panel heard over 30 sessions since March.
The disaster "was preventable but not prevented, and foreseeable but not foreseen", leading counsel for the committee Victor Dawes told the hearing on Friday.
Former Wang Fuk Court residents attending the hearing wiped away tears as Dawes detailed the rapid spread of the fire.
Evidence suggests the fire was likely caused by a lit cigarette that was improperly disposed of, he said.
The fire alarm and hose systems had been switched off for the renovations, and foam boards placed over the windows, blocking residents' view, the counsel's submissions said.
Building contractors had "knowingly created a massive fire risk" by using non-fire-retardant netting on the facade, according to the submissions.
Contractors also failed to stop workers smoking or to properly dispose of combustible construction waste, and compromised the main escape route, the submissions added.
The windows of staircases had been removed to let workers easily climb in and out of buildings, allowing smoke and fire to spread more rapidly.
The government "must bear a certain responsibility" for failures in the system, Dawes told the hearing.
"A disaster of this scale should not have occurred and should never occur again," he said.
- 'Shirking responsibility' -
Government counsel Jenkin Suen acknowledged on Thursday "weaknesses" in the system but said it would be "prejudicial and unfair" to put all the blame on public authorities.
"The primary causes remained the deceit, inaction and deliberate omissions of private actors," the government's closing arguments said.
However, Dawes's team argued that the government had "created an 'honour system' dependent on 'self-regulation' by contractors, effectively leaving them without oversight".
Residents had noticed problems, but their complaints were passed from one government department to another, and inspections failed to substantiate the claims, their lawyers said.
Some residents were in tears and hugged each other as the hearing concluded.
Yip Ka-kui, 68, who lost his wife and home in the fire, wiped away tears as he spoke to reporters outside the venue, criticising the government's "cold-blooded" closing submissions.
He accused authorities of "shirking responsibility".
"Facing such a huge disaster, none of the government departments involved had learned their lesson. They don't even think that they need to learn anything."
The complex housed more than 4,600 residents, 1,700 of them over the age of 65. Of those who died, 114 people -- or about 70 percent -- were aged 65 or older.
Authorities have filed charges including manslaughter against seven individuals and two companies over their roles in the fire, and arrested 35 people.
The investigative committee is expected to deliver its report to the government by September. -- AFP
