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Hong Kong fire contractors tied to Tai Po blaze remain in operation
The Fire Services Department has finished its investigation and will refer the cases for disciplinary board proceedings, but no timeline was given.
Two Hong Kong fire service contractors linked to alleged malpractice in the city’s deadliest blaze in decades are still operating and say they remain open to taking on new contracts, according to the South China Morning Post. The firms, China Status Development and Engineering and Victory Fire Engineering, were named after an evidential hearing into last November’s fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which raised allegations of negligence and misconduct. Testimony before an independent committee said both companies had played a role in the deactivation of the estate’s fire alarm and hose reel systems. SCMP reports that Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department said it has recently concluded its investigation and will refer the cases to the disciplinary board for inquiry proceedings, though it did not indicate when hearings or enforcement actions would be completed. In separate outreach that SCMP described as posing as a potential client, Victory Fire staff said the company was operating normally and would accept new work for annual fire inspections and replacement of fire service installations.
SCMP also said that a China Status representative told its reporter the firm no longer conducts annual fire inspections, but would still take on new orders to replace firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers.