Hong Kong continues to grapple with the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire. On one hand, the authorities are pushing ahead with post-disaster arrangements for residents, including expanding the long-term resettlement plan and providing more opportunities for residents to retrieve their belongings. Meanwhile, an independent inquiry is examining systemic failures that contributed to the tragedy. Hopefully, this will spur fire safety revamps and help pursue accountability.

The latest government offer to extend the buyout option to homeowners in the block left unscathed in November’s inferno at Wang Fuk Court is a positive step. The proposal, which will push the total acquisition cost up by HK$1 billion to HK$7.8 billion, provides a realistic option for households in all eight blocks to move on as on-site redevelopment has been ruled out. Separately, the authorities also plan to allow residents to return to their fire-ravaged homes again in another round of visits.

The public has felt the mixed emotions of residents in the past week as they shared images of their homes and the belongings recovered. For many, the process is also about confronting the scale of the loss and bidding farewell to their homes and lost family members. The stories are vivid reminders of the trauma and the systemic failures behind the disaster.

Step by step, the inquiry has cast an uncomfortable light on the deficiencies across different parties that contributed to the incident. So far, testimony and evidence presented at the hearings point to serious gaps in supervision, fragmented lines of responsibility and, crucially, inadequate coordination among government departments. Some issues are not new, but they are deeper and more entrenched than previously understood. The fact that they prevail speaks volumes of the system.

Behind the tragedy was an all too familiar pattern: fragmented mandates without clear accountability, aggravated by years of inertia and slack enforcement. When multiple departments share responsibility for fire safety and work projects, it becomes too easy for each to assume the buck stops elsewhere. In the Tai Po case, it resulted in regulatory blind spots, slack enforcement and failures to act decisively. The consequence was not merely bureaucratic inefficiency but preventable loss of lives and property.

The authorities must proactively follow up on the problems identified in the inquiry in due course. This includes getting to the root of what went wrong, taking proper care of those affected, pursuing accountability without fear or favour and fixing the systemic flaws once and for all.