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(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.) In view of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Chief Executive John Lee said today he will establish an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review to reform the building work system and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Ahead of the Executive Council meeting, Mr Lee said he has identified a large number of areas where issues should be addressed as the fire reflected significant lapses in building works, from construction to supervision, with multiple points of failure. “We must implement systemic reform. And the issues identified include: First, the safety requirements, standards, supervision and routine maintenance system for construction works. “Second, systemic issues in the construction process, such as inappropriate connected interests, conflicts of roles and corrupt collusion. “Third, establishing an up-to-date list of materials for which safety standards are properly set, ensuring their review and updating, and the required verification and testing systems. “Fourth, examining the roles and responsibilities of regulatory personnel across all stages of the project chain, including government departments and authorised professionals. “Fifth, issues of corruption, bid-rigging and irregular tendering in building maintenance projects. “Sixth, the supervision and responsibility of the installation and effective operation of fire safety systems in buildings. “Seventh, accountability related to the above areas in the fire in Tai Po. “And eighth, the adequacy or otherwise of legislation and penalties.” The Chief Executive called for a thorough investigation and serious reform, saying that the Government will overcome the obstacles of vested interests, and pursue accountability regardless of who is involved. He stressed that the Government must uncover the truth, ensure that justice is served, let the deceased rest in peace, and provide comfort to the living. Mr Lee announced the setting up of an independent committee to review the fire, while criminal and fire investigations continue separately. He will invite a judge to lead the committee's work, ensuring its independence and credibility. “I shall liaise with him to define its detailed terms of reference, and at the same time I will explore ways to assist in supporting the committee's operational efficiency, such that the Government can provide more detailed information or carry out some work on its direction so as to enable it to complete its task efficiently and submit a report early to the Chief Executive with recommendations to assist the Government to make the reform.”
The Secretary for Security today prohibited the operation or continued operation of the “Hong Kong Parliament” and the “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with immediate effect. Exercising the power conferred by the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), he published an order in the Government Gazette. The Secretary for Security recently issued written notices to the two organisations, to allow them to submit representations pursuant to section 60(4) of the SNSO. The Security Bureau said that representations from the “Hong Kong Parliament” were received but no representations from the “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” were received before the deadline. The bureau said the Secretary for Security carefully considered all relevant information, including the representations submitted by the “Hong Kong Parliament” and reasonably believes that the prohibitions are necessary for safeguarding national security. As the two organisations immediately become “prohibited organisations”, the bureau stated that any person who engages in acts specified in sections 62 to 65 of the SNSO commit an offence. Acts specified as offences include acting as an officer-bearer or a member of a prohibited organisation, or professing or claiming to be an office-bearer of the prohibited organisation; conducting any activity on behalf of a prohibited organisation; participating in any meeting of a prohibited organisation; inciting any other person to become a member of a prohibited organisation; and giving aid of any kind to, or procuring any subscription or aid for, a prohibited organisation. Those who commit such offences are liable to a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for 14 years. The bureau called on members of the public not to defy the law, participate in any activities of prohibited organisations, or have any connection with them.
Police today announced that 10 hotlines have been set up in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Members of the public with relevant video footage or photos are urged to contact officers through the hotlines to assist in the police investigation. The hotline numbers are: 5337 6671, 5337 6672, 5337 6673, 5337 6674, 5337 6675, 5337 6676, 5337 6677, 5337 6679, 5337 6680 and 5337 6681. The 10 hotlines operate from 8am to 8pm daily with immediate effect and are solely for the collection of video footage or photos related to the fire. Call 1878 999 for enquiries about fire casualties.
The Fire Services Department (FSD) today appealed to the public to stay alert to a video of unknown origin on the Internet, carrying a fraudulent fundraising message in the name of a family member of the deceased fireman, Ho Wai-ho. In an attempt to deceive, the fraudulent message included a bank account under a name highly similar to that of the family member. The department has immediately referred the case to Police for follow-up. Should people wish to express their support for the family of the deceased fireman by making donations, they may do so via either of the following:1. Deposit into the bank account of Ho Shing, Ho Wai-ho's fatherAccount Name: HO SHINGAccount Number: 039-744-1-039365-9 (Chiyu Banking Corporation Ltd) 2. Issue a cheque and send it to the FSD via mail or in person for forwarding, payable to “何勝” or “HO SHING”Address: Welfare & Building Management, Fire Services Department, 11/F, South Wing, Fire Services Headquarters Building, 1 Hong Chong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon. (Attn: Mr Wong Hon-kiu)
Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 commenced today, attracting representatives from international organisations and the legal industry, renowned experts, government officials and academics from around the world to participate in person and online. Themed "Linking Laws, Bridging Worlds", the event provides an opportunity for participants to engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges on topics such as the integration of lawtech and Artificial Intelligence, the development of international law and alternative dispute resolution, as well as collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Before the start of the Legal Week activities, all participants observed a moment of silence to mourn the victims of the Tai Po fire. The 6th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit - Judicial Conference was held as the opening event of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week, with around 50 judges from over 25 jurisdictions attending in person, and judges from other jurisdictions participating online. In his welcome remarks, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a strong legal foundation and international connectivity and is dedicated to serving as a "super connector" and a capacity building hub to facilitate the legal and economic collaboration across the region and beyond. This year's summit coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Department of Justice has specially released the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy Anniversary Booklet 2024-2025, reviewing the achievements and milestones of the academy in promoting international legal exchange and capacity building over the past year. Click here for details of the event.
Chief Executive John Lee this afternoon visited CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River, a transitional housing project in Yuen Long, to offer comfort to victims affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. As of this morning, 945 residents had been accommodated in youth hostels/camps or hotel rooms, under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau. Another 1,470 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Hong Kong Housing Society. CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River has accommodated over 100 fire victims from approximately 60 families. During the visit, Mr Lee inquired about the residents’ living conditions. Some victims stated that the $10,000 emergency cash subsidy quickly distributed by the Government after the fire, along with essential supplies such as bedding and household appliances provided via welfare organisations, have given them immediate relief and substantial support. Mr Lee also inspected the site’s temporary supplies centre, converted from an activity room, where necessities donated by various sectors are distributed. The Chief Executive said he was deeply moved by the selfless commitment of welfare personnel and residents of the CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River neighbourhood, stating that embody Hong Kong society’s spirit of mutual help and solidarity. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki visited residents affected by the fire at Pok Oi Kong Ha Wai Village, a transitional housing project at Kam Sheung Road in Yuen Long, to express sympathy and understand their living conditions and actual needs. As of this morning, Social Welfare Department social workers have been in contact with about 1,450 affected households, and more than 3,300 affected residents have been registered for “one social worker per household” support services. A supplies donation online platform established by the Government and the information technology sector to facilitate registration of supplies donated by organisations and members of the public began operating yesterday. The Government has so far received over 470 registrations, with donations including food and beverage items, clothing, daily necessities, beddings and electrical appliances. As of 4pm, the Immigration Department had processed about 1,090 personal document replacement applications from affected residents. Additionally, a total of 16 applications had been processed for extensions of stay and provision of services following loss of visa records. As for transport services, five fleets will arrange for taxis to provide free special services to residents in need, mainly to and from various locations in Tai Po district. Details are provided on the dedicated Government website “Support Services for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”. Police have completed searches at five buildings and deployed again more than 600 officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit to conduct searches at structurally-safe locations in the remaining two affected buildings. As of 4pm, Police had handled eight sets of human remains from the buildings, including five newly discovered sets and three that were previously found by firefighters but not removed. The number of the deceased has been updated to 151. Forensic pathologists from the Department of Health continued to assist personnel from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit on site in collecting evidence, making every effort to help identify the deceased. As of 4pm, the next of kin of 90 victims had completed necessary procedures at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary. Regarding investigations, in addition to the three personnel from a construction company arrested earlier, Police have arrested another 10 individuals from various construction and engineering consultancy companies on suspicion of manslaughter. The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU), together with more than 100 professionals from the Housing Department (HD), conducted inspections on Saturday and Sunday of more than 1,700 units in seven buildings, namely Wang Yan House, Wang Tao House, Wang Kin House, Wang Tai House, Wang Shing House, Wang Chi House and Wang Sun House, as well as a few floors of Wang Cheong House. They HD professionals have also now completed inspection of the remaining units in Wang Cheong House. According to their assessment, the structure of some units may be subject to serious damage, but there is no imminent danger in terms of the overall structural safety in any of the buildings inspected. The Housing Bureau’s emergency maintenance contractors have completed relevant support works so that Police officers and the Fire Services Department can immediately enter the units to conduct evidence collection and other operations. The ICU has conducted on-site sampling at Wang Fuk Court and four other Home Ownership Scheme courts that have been issued notices under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme, including Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, and On Kay Court in Kwun Tong. Samples collected from different positions of buildings’ protective nets had been sent to the Government Laboratory for testing. In addition, the Buildings Department has inspected 359 buildings undergoing external wall maintenance. Among these, about 300 buildings were confirmed to have had scaffold nets installed, and samples have been taken. Test results are expected to be ready in batches within this week. The Labour Department (LD) launched a city-wide special enforcement operation on November 28, targeting the fire protection facilities and fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding. As of 4pm, the LD had inspected 61 construction sites, issued a total of 53 written warnings and 13 improvement notices, and taken out two prosecutions.
Multiple departments under three task forces set up following the Tai Po blaze are working tirelessly to push forward support and relief efforts on all fronts. The three bodies are the Task Force on Investigation & Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support & Fundraising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements. They are led, respectively, by the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Chief Secretary, and the Deputy Financial Secretary. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government expressed its sincere gratitude to the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and to various departments of the Guangdong Provincial Government, for their staunch support and prompt assistance, including their provision of equipment such as drones, exoskeleton devices and protective gear, as well as medical supplies. It said this has significantly assisted the Hong Kong SAR's emergency response and follow-up efforts. Mourning victimsThe Government mourned the victims of the Wang Fuk Court fire and expressed its profound condolences to the bereaved at the Central Government Offices yesterday morning, with national and regional flags at all government buildings flying at half-mast. Members of the public also visited condolence points in various districts to sign condolence books and mourn the victims. Providing reliefThe Government is offering an emergency cash subsidy of $10,000 per affected household to provide immediate relief to affected residents. As of 3.30pm yesterday, the Government had registered more than 1,800 households for the subsidy and disbursed the emergency cash to 929 households. In addition, the Government will provide token solidarity payments of $200,000 to the families of each deceased victim, and a living allowance of $50,000 will be provided to each affected household starting from next week. Welfare assistanceAs of yesterday morning, social workers at the Social Welfare Department (SWD) had been in touch with about 1,300 households, and 3,200 affected residents had been registered for support services on a “one social worker per household” basis. Residents not yet in touch with the SWD are advised to leave their contact information by calling 182 183. In addition, the Government will further strengthen the “one social worker per household” service by mobilising civil servants. For each household, in addition to assistance from a social worker, two to three civil servants will be assigned to provide voluntary support, such as running errands or collecting supplies. Fundraising and suppliesOn top of a $300 million injection from the Government, as of 3pm yesterday the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had raised around $800 million, bringing the fund’s total to around $1.1 billion. The Government will also set up a central supplies station at the Tai Po Community Centre to co-ordinate and properly manage donated materials. Members of the public can also provide their contact information and details of items they wish to donate via WhatsApp, on 9213 2388, for the Government to follow up. In addition, the Government is working with the information technology sector to expedite the development of an online platform to facilitate registration of donated supplies from organisations and members of the public. Mortgage arrangementsIn order to alleviate financial pressures on affected owners at Wang Fuk Court, the Housing Authority has immediately relaxed the provisions regarding mortgage repayment periods and repayment amounts under the Deed of Guarantee. Emergency accommodationAs of yesterday afternoon, around 517 residents affected by the fire had been accommodated, under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 1,038 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Housing Society. Two shelters remain open for residents in need. To assist those staying at transitional housing units, a residents’ service plying between Good House in Tai Po and MTR Tai Po Market Station began operating yesterday morning. Meanwhile, the frequency of the service plying between another Tai Po transitional housing project, Trackside Villas, and MTR Tai Po Market Station, has been increased. Funeral arrangementsThe Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will arrange for dedicated staff to assist each bereaved family, allowing them to make funeral arrangements at their preferred time and location. A service counter has been set up at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary to offer assistance to families. Mental health, school supportThe Fire Services Department’s (FSD) Psychological Services Unit is providing emotional support and psychological counselling to family members of deceased fireman Ho Wai-ho, as well as to other frontline firefighters and supporting personnel. The unit will also conduct post-operational psychological debriefings to help them process their emotions. Meanwhile, to pool strength in the education sector, the Education Bureau has initiated the establishment of a territory-wide education sector support group for special incidents. The group comprises representatives of primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, and special schools, as well as school councils and various school heads’ associations. It will serve as an exchange platform for keeping abreast of the situation in schools, providing affected students with tailored assistance, and garnering and unifying support to help students and teachers overcome trauma. Visit the dedicated website for the latest updates and information about support services for Wang Fuk Court. Locating missing persons The Police Force deployed over 600 officers from its Disaster Victim Identification Unit to conduct searches at two of the buildings yesterday, completing the operation at about 2.30pm. No human remains were found during the search. Once relevant departments confirm the safety of each building, Police will immediately deploy officers to conduct searches. The force will also continue to follow up on missing persons, so as to confirm their status and the number of casualties as soon as possible. Investigation workThe FSD-led interdepartmental Fire Investigation Task Force held its first meeting on Friday to investigate the cause of the fire and how it spread, and to determine the factors that led to heavy casualties. In addition, the FSD conducted functional tests on the fire alarm systems, including fire alarm bells, at all eight blocks of Wang Fuk Court after the fire. It was found that the fire alarm systems were not in effective working order. The FSD will continue to carry out inspections on other fire service installations and equipment in all blocks of the estate, and will collect evidence. Should any contraventions be found, the FSD will take appropriate enforcement action, or refer the case to law enforcement authorities for follow-up. Three personnel of a construction company arrested on November 27 have been released on bail. Police are conducting a thorough and in-depth investigation, and gathering evidence through various channels. Building safetyThe Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU), together with Housing Department professionals led by two Deputy Directors and five directorate Chief Structural Engineers, visited Wang Fuk Court yesterday to inspect the overall structural safety of the damaged buildings. By 1pm, the ICU had completed its inspections of the structural safety of Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House, as well as the first two floors of Wang Cheong Court. Based on its visual inspections, the ICU assessed that Wang Yan House and Wang Tao House should have no imminent risk in terms of structural safety. Preliminary observations suggested that some units may have more serious structural damage, and that temporary support may be necessary. Contractors have already been mobilised to conduct relevant works. The ICU continued to deploy manpower to conduct on-site sampling at Wang Fuk Court and four other Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) courts: Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, and On Kay Court in Kwun Tong. Samples collected from protective nets have been sent to the Government Laboratory for testing. In the four HOS courts other than Wang Fuk Court, if any flammable material is identified on external walls the ICU will instruct the contractors to remove it immediately. Meanwhile, the Buildings Department (BD) announced yesterday that it has issued orders under the Buildings Ordinance requiring the immediate temporary suspension of works on 28 private building projects with Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, Limited (PC&E) as the registered contractor. Suspension orders were also issued on another two private building maintenance projects where plastic sheetings were found to be used. The BD ordered the two registered contractors concerned to remove those sheetings at once, and will seek advice concerning legal penalties. As of yesterday, 250 buildings undergoing external wall maintenance had been inspected, with samples being been taken for testing from buildings which have scaffold nets. Follow-up actions will be promptly announced if further buildings are found to be using foam or plastic sheeting to block windows, or if sampling results indicate that scaffold nets fail to meet fire-retardant standards. Work safetyThe Labour Department (LD) launched a territory-wide special enforcement operation on Friday, targeting fire protection facilities and fire emergency preparedness at buildings maintenance work sites where large-scale scaffolding is erected. Among other checks, the operation is looking at whether protective screens on scaffolds comply with recognised standards for fire-retardant materials. As of yesterday, the LD had inspected 46 work sites and issued a total of 39 written warnings and two improvement notices.
The supplies donation online platform established by the Government and the information technology sector began operation today to facilitate registration of supplies donations from organisations and members of the public, enabling the Government to better consolidate information and distribute supplies to residents in need as necessary. The Government said that the Task Force on Investigation & Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support & Fund-Raising and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements, led respectively by the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Chief Secretary and the Deputy Financial Secretary, are making every effort to press ahead with the support and relief work and investigations on the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Immediate reliefThe Government has been offering an emergency cash subsidy of $10,000 per affected household since November 27 to provide immediate relief for affected residents. As at 1pm today, the Government has registered more than 1,900 households for the subsidy and disbursed the emergency cash subsidies to 1,420 households. In addition, the Government will provide a $200,000 token of solidarity to the family members of each deceased victim, and a living allowance of $50,000 will be provided to each affected household starting this week. For the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po established by the Government, as at noon today, the donations received have reached $900 million, apart from the startup capital of $300 million from the Government, bringing the fund's total to around $1.2 billion. The fund will be used for assisting the residents in rebuilding homes and providing long-term and persistent support. The Government has also set up a central supplies station at the Tai Po Community Centre to co-ordinate and properly manage the donated materials received. Emergency accommodationAs of this morning, 683 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels/camps or hotel rooms. Another 1,144 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Housing Society. Furthermore, two shelters remain open for residents in need. Members of the public in need may call the Task Force on Transitional Housing of the Housing Bureau at 3611 8482 to obtain more information about the admission of different projects. Accommodation is free of charge. Pets are also welcome. To provide further convenience for victims admitted into transitional housing, starting from December 1, the first departure of the residents' service connecting Good House in Tai Po and the MTR Tai Po Market Station will be advanced to 7.30am departing from Good House Monday to Friday. Healthcare supportAs of this morning, social workers of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with about 1,300 affected households, and 3,200 affected residents have been registered for the “one social worker per household” support service. Those not yet in touch with the SWD are advised to leave their contact information by calling 182 183 as soon as possible. In view of affected residents gradually relocating from temporary shelters to various communities, the Primary Healthcare Commission will leverage the District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses as hubs to provide personalised case management services to residents affected by the incident, and co-ordinate healthcare professionals from various disciplines to provide medical, nursing and medication services, as well as psychological support. Those affected may also visit the Hospital Authority's Family Medicine Clinics for services and will later be able to make priority bookings through the system. In addition, the medical stations currently set up at temporary shelters will remain in operation. Funeral arrangementsThe Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will arrange dedicated staff to assist each family of the deceased, enabling them to make arrangements at their preferred time and location. The Government will waive fees for columbarium and related services, and provide $50,000 to the families of each deceased individual through the “one social worker per household” service to cover funeral and related expenses. The FEHD has set up a service counter at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary and will proactively contact the families to offer assistance. Dedicated websiteFor the latest updates and information about the support services, please visit the Government's one-stop dedicated website.Investigation workFollowing the completion of inspection on the overall structural safety of Wang Yan House, Wang Tao House and the first two floors of Wang Cheong House on November 29, the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit, together with more than 100 professionals from the Housing Department, further completed the inspections of Wang Kin House, Wang Tai House, Wang Shing House and Wang Chi House as at 5pm today. More than 1,500 units in total have been inspected in these two days. The inspection of Wang Sun House and Wang Cheong House has also commenced. Police have arranged sufficient manpower to remain on standby. Once the safety of the remaining two buildings is confirmed, Police will immediately deploy officers to conduct searches inside. According to the initial assessment of the professionals, there is no imminent danger in terms of the overall structural safety of the buildings inspected, but the structure of some units may be subject to more serious damage. The Housing Bureau has already engaged contractors for emergency maintenance to complete the relevant support works as soon as possible in order to allow officers of the Police Force and the Fire Services Department (FSD) to enter the units for evidence and other operations. Regarding the handling of reported missing people, Police completed searches at two buildings on November 29 and deployed more than 600 officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit to conduct searches in three other buildings today. As of 4pm today, Police handled 30 sets of human remains in the buildings, including 12 sets found by firefighters but yet to be removed, and 18 sets that were newly discovered. The numbers of deceased and injured have been updated to 146 and 79 respectively. The FSD also handled all the 347 assistance calls received during the fire. Building safetyThe Housing Bureau also noted that with Prestige Construction & Engineering Company being the contractor of the maintenance project of Wang Fuk Court, the bureau's Independent Checking Unit (ICU) issued orders in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance on November 29 to temporarily suspend the relevant external wall maintenance works with immediate effect. The ICU also identified in a special inspection operation that plastic sheeting had been used to cover the windows in the maintenance project in Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po. The registered contractor of the project has been requested to remove the plastic sheeting immediately. Legal advice is being sought when considering prosecution. For the sake of prudence, the ICU has ordered the temporary suspension of the works and requested the contractor to conduct an independent safety audit to review their safety management system. Taking cognisance of the outcome of the safety audit, the contractors are required to submit an improvement plan and implement improvement measures, with a view to demonstrating that they have an effective safety management system in place before the resumption of works can be considered. On the other hand, the Buildings Department continued its special inspection operation. As of today, 319 buildings undergoing external wall maintenance have been inspected and samples have been taken for testing from buildings installed with scaffold nets. Apart from the two buildings where plastic sheeting was found blocking the windows as announced on November 29, no other buildings were found using foam boards or plastic sheeting to block windows. The Labour Department (LD) launched a citywide special enforcement operation since November 28, targeting the fire protection facilities and fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding erected. This includes checking if protective screens on scaffolds are in compliance with recognised standards for fire-retardant materials to enhance the occupational safety of workers. As at today, the LD has inspected 51 construction sites, issued a total of 45 written warnings and 12 improvement notices, and has taken out two prosecutions.
The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced that from December 1 to 6, special service sessions during non-office hours will be provided at the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O for residents affected by the Tai Po fire to replace their personal documents. The special sessions run from 6pm to 10pm between December 1 and December 5, and from 1pm to 10pm on December 6. At present, residents affected by the Tai Po fire can separately apply for a Hong Kong Identity Card and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Travel Documents at Immigration Offices during business hours, without needing to make an appointment. The special services, free of charge, include processing applications for the replacement of Hong Kong identity cards; Hong Kong SAR travel documents such as Hong Kong SAR passports, Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes, and Re-entry Permits; Hong Kong birth certificates; and certified copy of marriage certificates. The services also cover the application for an extension of stay, as well as requests for records in relation to current conditions and limit of stay. The ImmD will deploy officers to the temporary shelters at Tung Cheong Street Community Hall and Tai Po Community Centre, and arrange a transport service to its Tseung Kwan O headquarters for the residents. The processing time will also be accelerated, with an aim to prepare the documents within two days. In relation to travel documents such as the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong & Macao Residents (known as the “Home Return Permit”) issued by Mainland authorities, the China Travel Service Document Services HK Limited Tseung Kwan O Centre will open in parallel with the ImmD’s special service sessions to handle residents’ applications. For enquiries, call 2824 6111 or email [email protected].
The Government yesterday inaugurated an Inter-departmental Fire Investigation Task Force in response to the fire at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, the Fire Services Department (FSD) said. Led by the FSD, the task force comprises representatives from the Police Force, the Buildings Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit, the Labour Department and the Government Laboratory, as well as fire engineering professionals. The task force held its first meeting yesterday with two main objectives – to investigate the cause of the fire and how it spread, and to determine the factors that resulted in heavy casualties. After the meeting, the members conducted a site inspection at the scene of the Wang Fuk Court fire.