Hong Kong's leader apologises for deadly high-rise fire

The chief executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, has apologised for a massive fire that ripped through an apartment complex last year and killed 168 people.

Speaking at a press conference, Lee promised major reforms to government departments to ensure such an incident would not happen again.

A report by an independent committee, released by the government at the press conference, found that the fire was caused by "misconduct" by the private sector as well as "decades of failure" by government bodies.

The massive blaze at Wang Fuk Court in November 2025 was the deadliest the city had seen in decades. Dozens of people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, fraud or corruption.