Fire services to be ‘gatekeepers’ for safety, Hong Kong security chief vows

AI Summary

The Hong Kong security chief has declared that fire services will act as gatekeepers for safety, particularly after a recent devastating blaze highlighted existing vulnerabilities. The promise includes enhanced oversight by the fire services department to ensure public safety.

Hong Kong’s security chief has reaffirmed that fire services will act as the gatekeeper for safety after a legal vacuum was exposed during an inquiry into the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, stressing the department’s existing manpower could cope with expanded oversight duties. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday reiterated the pledge earlier made by Fire Services Department Director Andy Yeung Yan-kin during the hearings into the inferno at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The...