Hong Kong Housing Secretary Resigns After Fire Investigation

Hong Kong Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned on Wednesday following an investigation into the city's deadliest fire in decades. Chief Executive John Lee announced the departure at a news conference on Thursday, stating that Ho should bear political responsibility for the event. Lee noted that while no personal wrongdoing was found against Ho, the housing department's oversight was inadequate.

The fire started last November in Wang Fuk Court, an apartment complex in a northern suburban district. Flames engulfed seven buildings, killing 168 people and displacing thousands of residents. At the time of the blaze, the complex was undergoing building maintenance work.

An independent committee concluded that the Housing Bureau’s checking unit failed in its duties supervising that maintenance. The committee's findings are distinct from ongoing criminal investigations. Prosecutors have charged seven individuals and two companies with offenses including manslaughter and conspiracy to defraud.

Authorities alleged that the two companies and several defendants conspired to defraud apartment owners. They concealed previous litigation records for the firm that won the renovation contract. That contract was valued at more than 300 million Hong Kong dollars, or over $38 million.

Residents of Wang Fuk Court have spent nearly a year waiting for accountability. At the start of Thursday's press briefing, Lee and seven other senior officials bowed to apologize to the public.

Ho's resignation concludes the initial administrative response to the disaster. The criminal trials against the seven people and two companies remain in progress.