The official transcript of a public hearing into Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades has wrongly recorded several key details, the South China Morning Post has found, prompting an academic to urge that future proceedings be live-streamed to strengthen transparency and public trust.
The errors included incorrect figures for the number of residents who escaped using lifts and the percentage of flats suffering severe damage, according to the SCMP’s review of the committee hearing investigating the Tai Po fire last November, which claimed 168 lives.
In response to the SCMP’s inquiry, the committee’s secretariat said the transcripts had been produced with help from a “professional live transcription service provider”, adding that it would correct any mistakes or discrepancies and upload the amended version to its website.
“The secretariat is fully aware that the transcripts are an important tool to help the community to better understand and keep track of the hearing,” it said.
“We have been actively following up and will continue to work closely with the service provider to ensure that the transcripts will be available in a timely and appropriate manner.”
It noted that an errata sheet would also be uploaded to the website.
