**Fire Contractor Skipped Safety Checks Before Deadly Hong Kong Blaze**

A fire safety contractor has admitted he never inspected the site of Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades. The blaze killed 168 people. Chung Kit-man is the director of Victory Fire Engineering. His company was responsible for fire equipment at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po. He told an official inquiry that he was too busy to conduct on-site checks. An independent committee is investigating the causes of the November 2023 fire. It began a second round of hearings on Wednesday. Chung testified again about conflicting evidence he gave earlier. He is a registered fire service engineer and the contractor for the estate's fire systems. His admission raises serious questions about safety oversight at the residential complex. The inquiry continues.