Hong Kong Leader Orders Investigation into Tragic Blaze that Took 151
Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 residents.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
On Wednesday last week, seven of eight apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.
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, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to make certain all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.
Investigation and Aftermath
The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.
The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the investigation could last approximately a month.
Systemic Failures Identified
A number of occupants have stated they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department discovered that warning systems in every tower were operating inadequately.
The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on three dozen private developments.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was among a collective petitioning for an separate review into the blaze. An digital signature drive gathered over 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its information was removed.
Another two individuals, including a past council member, were also taken in by police, according to press accounts.
Global Response
The rights group and The monitoring body have both criticised the alleged detentions.
"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.
Historical Context and Demographics
The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had offered 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, according to a population count.
Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be at least 65 years old. Several have lived in the government-supported development since its construction.
Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals lost their lives.
