Residents were left helpless as departments ‘passed the ball’ on safety complaints

No government department took effective ownership of fire safety risks ahead of the deadly Tai Po fire in Hong Kong, allowing complaints made by residents to fall into a vacuum, according to an independent committee.

At the release of the 1,154-page full report on Thursday, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said he would lead a steering committee to review and implement the more than 100 recommendations of the…