By Jessie Pang and Joyce Zhou
HONG KONG, March 19 (Reuters) - Human factors rendered ineffective almost all the fire safety measures at the site of a Hong Kong blaze that killed 168 people in November, the lead lawyer for a panel led by a judge that is investigating the inferno said on Thursday.
The Independent Committee set up by Hong Kong leader John Lee to recommend preventive measures began hearings into the Asian financial hub's deadliest fire in decades at the high-rise Wang Fuk housing complex in the precinct of Tai Po.
"Only by confronting past mistakes can the city become safer," said the lawyer, Victor Dawes, as he detailed evidence regarding the blaze in the complex of eight blocks that were under extensive renovation.
CCTV images and videos shot by the public before and during the blaze, including scenes of construction workers smoking at the site, were played for the committee to review on Thursday.
"My family member has passed away, it's been hard to watch so many videos, it's like witnessing the whole process," said a former resident, Phyllis, who lost her mother in the fire and received the videos before the hearing.
Phyllis, who gave only one name, told reporters she wanted to know the cause of the fire. Other residents said they wanted to know why the fire alarms never sounded.
In 2024, authorities told residents that fire risks were "relatively low" following their complaints about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city's Labour Department said earlier.
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Dawes detailed five major problems, among them the shutting down of fire alarms in seven blocks and the removal of staircase and corridor windows to give access to scaffolding for workers, allowing smoke and flames to enter residents' escape routes.
Fire hydrants and hose reels were shut off and non-flame-retardant netting was used, Dawes said.
He added that cigarette butts were suspected to be the cause of the blaze, according to a report by an inter-departmental task force. Residents' repeated complaints about workers smoking had not been taken seriously by authorities, he added.
Investigators found numerous butts on the scaffolding and platforms and in light wells.
Dozens of residents and members of the public arrived early on Thursday to attend the proceedings at a public conference hall in Central.
Judge David Lok, who chaired the hearing, said they aimed to find the causes of the fire and the extent of the problem of bid-rigging by contractors and developers across city building projects.
Dawes said the panel received nearly 1 million files including photographs, videos and documents.
Some in the Chinese-ruled city had launched an online petition calling for an independent investigation and accountability, while authorities warned of severe punishment for those who tried to politicise the disaster.
(Reporting by Jessie Pang and Joyce Zhou; Additional reporting by James Pomfret; Editing by Greg Torode and Clarence Fernandez)