Hong Kong panel hears safety measures failed on day of deadly fire

Almost all life-saving fire safety measures failed on the day a devastating blaze tore through a Hong Kong housing complex last year, killing 168 people, a public hearing was told on Thursday (Mar 19).



The Nov 26 blaze at Wang Fuk Court, a high-rise apartment complex in the financial hub's Tai Po district, was the world's deadliest residential building fire since 1980.



It engulfed seven of the eight residential towers in the complex, which were undergoing renovations and covered in bamboo scaffolding, protective netting and foam boards that may have contributed to the fire's rapid spread.