Tai Po fire station's officers testify at public hearing
發佈日期: 2026-04-13 21:24
TVB News
Witnesses from the Fire Services Department continued to testify on the Tai Po fire at the independent committee's public hearing. The public hearing resumed at Central City Gallery.
Under the guidance of Lee Shu-wun, the committee's counsel, Hui Kin-on, the senior station officer of Tai Po fire station, also one of the first firefighters to arrive at Wang Fuk Court on the day, offered his testimony.
Hui had helped formulate a contingency plan for Wang Fuk Court, which was required because of the estate's renovation project. But Hui said the Fire Services Department didn't inspect the estate before drawing up the plan. He explained that's because "Wang Fuk Court was an old estate" and the department "was familiar with it."
Hui said he couldn't hear the fire alarms after arriving at the scene and had considered deploying colleagues to Wang Cheong House to check the fire services system. However, Hui didn't enact the plan because of the severe fire condition at the block, preventing the firefighters from entering.
Hui told the committee that all firefighters were supposed to remain outside the blocks at the initial stage upon their arrival.
Hui recalled receiving a "May Day" call from late firefighter Ho Wai-ho, saying he was trapped on the 30th floor.
While Hui said he was unsure about the identity and location of the caller, he assumed Ho was in Wang Cheong House, where the blaze was fierce at the time.
Another FSD witness, Cheung Lok-hang, the station commander of Tai Po fire station, said the blaze was spreading "impossibly quickly," both vertically and horizontally.
Cheung said the "unprecedented" situation had exceeded the scope of the FSD's rescue tactics.
A third FSD witness, Lam Ho-chun, deputy divisional commander of New Territories East, who arrived at the fire scene at 3:29 pm, said the department confirmed Ho Wai-ho's identity at 3:55 pm, after some colleagues tried to rescue the fallen firefighter outside Wang Tai House.
Apart from Monday's hearing, the committee will hold three more this week, between Wednesday and Friday. Meanwhile, another seven sessions will take place in the following weeks.
