Hong Kong inquest delayed as father of two boys killed in fire questions rescue operation
British actor who survived 2012 blaze questions rescue operation and access
An inquest into the death of two boys at a fire in a Yuen Long village in 2012 was adjourned yesterday after their father raised concerns over the rescue operation and pointed to problems with access to the village for emergency vehicles.
British actor Simon Watkiss, father of Eliot, eight, and Frankie, seven, put the issues forward before Coroner June Cheung Tin-ngan started the inquest into the death of the two boys.
The brothers were asleep in the first-floor bedroom of the family's house in Pat Heung Upper Village when the fire broke out shortly before 1am on October 27, 2012.
They were rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long, but were declared dead on arrival.
Adjourning the inquest to a later date yet to be fixed, Cheung asked police to make further enquiries with the Fire Services Department, Lands Department and Buildings Department to seek answers to the questions Watkiss had raised.
"My house burned down and my two beautiful sons Elliot and Frankie died in the fire. Thank you to those who sent messages they make me cry," Watkiss wrote in a Facebook post after the fire in 2012.
Yesterday, when Cheung explained to Watkiss that the departments were entitled to legal representation, the father asked: "If they have done nothing wrong, why do they need legal representation? Why can these people hide behind the law?"
Outside court, Watkiss yelled at journalists and accused newspapers of making up stories when they reported on the fire in 2012.
