Two construction subcontractors involved in a major fire at Wang Fuk Court admitted that they failed to control workers smoking prior to the incident. They also told an independent committee that they had replaced fireproof windows with movable wooden boards, compromising safety.

Two renovation subcontractors involved in a HK$336 million (US$42.9 million) project at a subsidised estate ravaged by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have conceded they did not regulate workers’ smoking behaviour before the inferno. The two engineering firms on Thursday also told an independent committee that they had partially replaced fireproof windows at Wang Fuk Court’s evacuation passages with movable wooden boards to allow workers’ easy access to scaffolding at the behest of main...