HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's housing secretary has resigned after an inquiry found her departments overlooked fire hazards before the city's deadliest blaze in more than seven decades.

Nearly a year ago, on Nov. 26, 2025, a fire broke out at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the city's Tai Po district. The flames quickly tore through multiple high-rise towers, killing 168 people and displacing thousands.

An investigation panel formed in December submitted a report to Chief Executive John Lee last week, and the findings were made public on Thursday.

The more than 1,000-page report says that a burning substance "like a cigarette" was the potential cause, and that government bodies' failure to address risks contributed to the high death toll.

The commission blamed several government departments, including the Independent Checking Unit under the Housing Bureau, for missing the dangers, along with lax enforcement.

Housing Secretary Winnie Ho stepped down on Wednesday, Lee told reporters, adding that he informed Beijing of her resignation.

While Lee said the fire did not involve "the personal mistakes of the housing secretary," the fact that the fire occurred at Wang Fuk Court, which is under the supervision of the ICU, meant she had to "bear the political responsibility." He added that Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will serve as the acting head of the Housing Bureau.

In the report, the commission also described the companies involved in renovation work at Wang Fuk Court, Prestige Construction and Engineering as well as Will Power Company, as the "main culprits" behind the inferno's rapid spread. They are accused of using substandard mesh and deceiving officials. Police and anti-graft agencies have charged the two companies and seven people involved.

"On behalf of the government, I apologize to the survivors and citizens," Lee said. He and seven senior officials, including Financial Secretary Paul Chan and Security Secretary Chris Tang, bowed after the apology.

Lee pledged that a new committee recommended in the report will spearhead reforms, including criminalizing bid-rigging in the construction industry, with penalties of up to 10 million Hong Kong dollars ($1.2 million) and 10 years in jail.

Multiple residential blocks burn at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on Nov. 26, 2025.

Fire survivor Leung Ho-hin found the apology "too late," but said he hopes that the tragedy that cost him his home will lead to changes that benefit all Hong Kong residents.

"Hong Kong tends to reform its policies after every major disaster. I hope this incident will prompt not only a crackdown on bid-rigging, but also a comprehensive review of public safety," Leung told Nikkei Asia.

Lee has less than a year left in his term as chief executive, and observers are watching whether he will seek a second term. Ho, the housing chief, becomes the fourth secretary to resign or be dismissed during Lee's tenure.

Kevin Yeung was dismissed as secretary for culture, sports and tourism, and Lam Sai-hung as transport secretary. Erick Tsang resigned citing health reasons.

Discussion of the fire and Wang Fuk Court's future has become politically sensitive, after Beijing and Hong Kong officials accused some people of using the tragedy to stir up "social chaos." National security police arrested a few people in the immediate aftermath of the fire, including one student who called for government accountability.