Hong Kong wraps up probe into 'preventable' deadly fire

HONG KONG: 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 (Jul 17).The Nov 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 five 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 hear