Hong Kong’s insurers should make it easier for residents affected by the deadly Tai Po fire to file claims and consider incorporating fire safety inspection results into underwriting, according to sector representatives contesting a seat in the legislature.
Insurance sector hopefuls Chan Pui-leung and Simon Lam Yat-tung made the appeals on Wednesday during a government-led forum, the first held since last week’s blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which claimed at least 159 lives.
Chan, the general manager of state-owned China Taiping Insurance (Hong Kong), urged insurers to set up more green channels and streamline procedures to help affected residents claim funds and rebuild their lives after the disaster.
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His company is the insurer responsible for the housing estate’s property damage and third-party liability related to its renovation.
It had processed its first batch of nine home insurance claims on Monday, paying out a total of HK$5.37 million (US$689,899) to victims.
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Chan, an incumbent Election Committee lawmaker who decided to run in the insurance sector this time, also proposed that the government establish a central mechanism to prevent safety breaches.