Reducing fire risk to zero would cost huge amount, Tai Po blaze inquiry hears

Requiring that only incombustible materials be used for large-scale renovations at housing estates is unrealistic and fails to take into account risks that arise after prolonged use, a public inquiry into Hong Kong’s deadliest inferno in decades has heard. The use of polyfoam boards to seal windows was among five key factors that led to the death toll of 168 people at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last year, experts said at the public inquiry session on Wednesday.

An expert appointed by the...