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 has been fined HK$8,000 for failing to keep fire alarms functional at an estate where a blaze killed a man last October.

Kwun Tong Garden Estate. Photo: Hong Kong Housing Society.

The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of “failing to keep fire service installation in efficient working order” at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Court following the fatal blaze at Lotus Tower, Kwun Tong Garden Estate, on October 30 last year.

The fire broke out late at night in a flat. Responders found a 52-year-old man, who was later pronounced dead at hospital according to local media. Firefighters broke the glass on the fire alarm system while tackling the blaze, but the alarm failed to sound.

During mitigation, representatives for the HKHS said the alarm failed due to a loose wire, but there was no evidence that the glitch was caused by the public housing body or its employees, media outlet HK Court News reported.

The HKHS had made “every reasonable effort” to keep fire equipment functional across its 39 estates by arranging for contractors to inspect systems every six months, twice as frequently as the legal requirement of an annual check, the court heard.

Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts. Photo: GovHK.

The defence also said the HKHS planned to upgrade its fire alarms to digital systems this year to enable real-time monitoring. It added that the organisation had only one previous fire-related court conviction.

Deputy Magistrate Milly Hung urged the HKHS to make extra effort “in supervising its fire safety contractors,” as any neglect would have far-reaching implications for the 39 estates it manages.

The HKHS is an independent body that manages more than 32,000 rental units and 18,000 private flats, according to its website. It is the second largest public housing provider in the city, behind the Hong Kong Housing Authority.

Kwun Tong Garden Estate has nine towers and offers close to 5,000 flats – making it the largest estate managed by the HKHS.