The city's Chief Executive Directs Probe into Deadly Fire that Took 151
Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
This past Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.
A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, among them the directors of a contractor.
"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," stated the leader.
Investigation and Aftermath
The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.
The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could require three to four weeks.
Shortcomings Uncovered
Several residents have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the fire broke out. The city's fire department discovered that warning systems in every tower were not working effectively.
Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on 30 private projects.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
In a related development, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was part of a collective demanding an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An internet-based appeal gathered more than 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.
Another two individuals, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by authorities, according to local media reports.
Global Response
The rights group and The monitoring body have both criticised the reported arrests.
"Now is the time for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...instead of suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.
Background and Resident Profile
The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.
Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. A number have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 people died.
