An independent committee is examining the causes of a fatal fire at the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po, which resulted in 168 deaths.

一個獨立委員會目前正在調查大埔王福苑一場造成 168 人死亡的致命火災原因。

The acceleration of the blaze is attributed to the utilization of non-fire-retardant scaffolding materials. Testimony provided by Professor Richard Yuen of the City University of Hong Kong, supported by simulations conducted at the Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, indicates that the absence of fire-retardant netting facilitated 'secondary ignitions.' These ignitions enabled the fire to propagate rapidly across bamboo sticks, foam boards, and wooden planks. The simulation demonstrated that the employment of certified fire-retardant materials would likely have arrested the fire's progression. Furthermore, environmental variables, specifically low humidity and high wind velocity, are cited as catalysts that increased the susceptibility of materials to ignition and aided the transport of embers.

火勢的加速被歸因於使用了非防火的棚架材料。香港城市大學袁理查教授提供的證詞，以及四川科技大學進行的模擬顯示，由於缺乏防火網，導致了「二次起火」。這些起火點使火勢能迅速在竹竿、泡沫板和木板之間傳播。模擬證明，若使用經認證的防火材料，很可能能遏制火勢蔓延。此外，環境變數，特別是低濕度和高風速，被視為催化劑，增加了材料的起火敏感度並助長了餘燼的傳播。

Concurrent systemic failures exacerbated the casualty rate. Assistant Director Yiu Men-yeung of the Fire Services Department testified that the estate's fire alarm system had been deactivated, precluding timely evacuation. The integrity of emergency staircases was compromised by the unauthorized removal of fireproof windows to facilitate worker access, which permitted the ingress of toxic smoke and thermal energy. This rendered primary escape routes non-viable, forcing residents in Wang Cheong House to retreat into their apartments. Additionally, the deployment of polystyrene window covers obstructed visibility, preventing residents in Wang Tai House from perceiving the approaching threat. The accumulation of debris, including melted nylon and canvas, further obstructed ground-level exits. Regarding operational losses, it was confirmed that firefighter Ho Wai-ho adhered to departmental protocols despite becoming separated from his unit during search operations.

同時發生的系統性失效加劇了傷亡率。消防處助理處長姚文陽證稱，屋苑的火警系統已被關閉，導致無法及時疏散。由於擅自拆除防火窗以方便工人進入，緊急樓梯的完整性受損，導致有毒煙霧和熱能侵入。這使得主要逃生路線失效，迫使王清樓的居民退回公寓內。此外，聚苯乙烯窗蓋遮擋了視線，導致王泰樓的居民無法察覺即將到來的威脅。包括熔化尼龍和帆布在內的碎片堆積，進一步阻塞了地面出口。關於操作損失，已確認消防員何偉浩在搜救行動中雖與小隊失散，但仍遵守部門協議。

The disaster resulted from a convergence of non-compliant construction materials, deactivated safety systems, and compromised architectural integrity.

這場災難是由不合規的建築材料、被關閉的安全系統以及受損的建築完整性共同導致的。