Hong Kong public housing provider fined HK$8,000 over faulty fire alarm following fatal Kwun Tong blaze

Hong Kong's second-largest public housing provider, the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), has been fined HK$8,000 after pleading guilty to failing to maintain functional fire alarms at an estate where a fatal blaze occurred last October. The incident at Lotus Tower, Kwun Tong Garden Estate, resulted in the death of a 52-year-old man.

During the fire on October 30 last year, firefighters found the alarm system inoperable. The HKHS attributed the failure to a loose wire, though they stated there was no evidence of deliberate tampering. The society emphasized its efforts to maintain fire safety, conducting inspections every six months, twice the legal requirement.

HKHS plans to upgrade its fire alarms to digital systems this year for real-time monitoring. The court heard the organization had only one prior fire-related conviction. Deputy Magistrate Hung Yuk-kwan advised the HKHS to enhance supervision of its fire safety contractors, noting the significant implications of any neglect for the 39 estates it manages.

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in supervising its fire safety contractors