Tai Po fire survivor recalls final calls with trapped loved ones, vows to speak up for family

A Hong Kong man who lost three family members in the massive Tai Po fire has recounted their “despair” during the final phone calls with his loved ones, telling a public hearing that he will speak up for them for the rest of his life.

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, pictured on November 29, 2025, in the aftermath of the fatal blaze. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Lee Chun-ho testified on Thursday before an independent committee investigating the blaze in November that killed 168 people at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po. Among the deceased were Lee’s older brother, his 15-month-old niece, their elderly mother, and a domestic worker employed by the family.

The family of six is survived by Lee, his elderly father, and his sister-in-law. The three survived the blaze as they were at work when the fire broke out on November 26.

“I vow to speak up for [my family] for the rest of my life. This anger and despair… come from my mother, my brother, Yan-yan [niece], and our worker,” he said in Cantonese. “Now that they cannot speak, I will speak for them.”

Recounting his experience on that day, Lee said he was informed of the blaze by a co-worker and rushed home shortly after 4pm. As he reached Tai Po Market, he already saw plumes of smoke billowing from Wang Tai House, where his family lived.

Unable to enter his building due to a police cordon, Lee said he maintained contact with his mother at home via the phone every 15 minutes. Meanwhile, he sought help from police officers at the scene.

Wang Fuk Court resident Lee Chun-ho (centre left) testifies at a public inquiry into the deadly Tai Po fire in Hong Kong on April 16, 2026. Photo: Hans Tse/HKFP.

As night fell, Lee had a video call with his brother, who was trying to keep their elderly mother and the domestic worker awake. Around 9.30 pm, he had a final video conversation with his family, who were trapped in the fire.

Lee told the inquiry that his family was “extremely nervous, desperate, and angry” at that time. On the ground, Lee told a police commander that his mother had a chronic illness and hoped that firefighters could rescue the elderly and his baby niece as soon as possible.

Together with his sister-in-law, Lee also sought help from on-the-ground firefighters, who radioed the frontline about his family trapped in their 19th-floor flat. However, Lee overheard the frontline responders replying in Cantonese: “We can’t break through the 14th floor. The fire is too big.”

Lee said he watched his brother fall into a coma on the video call, while he and his sister-in-law kept shouting into the phone until the battery ran out on the other side.

Complaints

Lee said his mother and brother had complained about the high price tag of Wang Fuk Court’s renovation project to the authorities, including the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Home Affairs Department.

His mother also complained about workers smoking and damage to the scaffolding nets to the renovation contractor, Prestige Construction & Engineering, he added.

See also: Tai Po fire survivors recall futile whistle-blowing attempts

He said he had lived in Wang Fuk Court for over 40 years, and that the tragedy could have been avoided if the government had taken residents’ complaints “seriously.”

Lee’s account appeared to move the committee chair, Judge David Lok, who pledged the inquiry would spare no effort in uncovering the truth behind the tragedy.

The entrance to the City Gallery in Central, the venue of a public inquiry into the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Three Wang Fuk Court residents also testified during Thursday’s hearing, touching on issues such as “problematic” proxy votes during the estate’s meetings that made decisions on renovation matters.

Danny Fung, who lost his mother in the blaze, criticised the lack of verification of proxy votes. He said that those who attended the meetings in person were checked for their IDs, but proxy votes were not verified.

He also named Tai Po district councillor Peggy Wong, claiming that Wong brought her “gang” to estate owners’ board meetings, including the one in January 2024. During that meeting, Prestige was picked as a renovation contractor and a highly controversial HK$330 million project was approved.

“Wong’s team was queueing to get proxy votes,” he said, adding that some of “Wong’s people” intimidated residents.

The hearing resumes on Friday.