The city's Leader Orders Probe into Fatal Fire that Killed 151
The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
Last Wednesday, the majority of the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.
A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a construction company.
"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to ensure that all these gaps are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it ignited, and took over 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.
The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the inquiry could last several weeks.
Shortcomings Uncovered
Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a fire alarm when the fire erupted. Local firefighters determined that warning systems in all eight blocks were not working effectively.
The relevant regulatory body has put on hold works on numerous private sites.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
In a related development, officers took into custody a individual on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was part of a group demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An online petition amassed in excess of 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its contents were wiped.
A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also detained by officers, as reported by press accounts.
Global Response
The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the reported arrests.
"This is the occasion for the local government to transparently investigate the causes of the tragic incident...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.
Background and Resident Profile
The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, per a recent official survey.
Approximately 40 percent of its residents are believed to be older than 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people perished.
