Hong Kong Chief Executive Directs Investigation into Fatal Inferno that Took 151
Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
On Wednesday last week, seven of eight residential blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that protective netting installed on the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.
At least 13 people have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, among them the directors of a contractor.
"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to guarantee all these loopholes are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it began, and required over 2,000 firefighters to contain.
On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the investigation could require several weeks.
Systemic Failures Identified
Several residents have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze started. Hong Kong's fire service determined that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.
The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was among a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition amassed over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its page was taken down.
A pair of additional persons, among them a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, as reported by local media reports.
Global Response
The rights group and Another watchdog have both condemned the said apprehensions.
"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the devastating fire...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.
Background and Resident Profile
Wang Fuk Court was completed in 1983 and had offered 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 inhabitants, based on a 2021 government census.
Nearly 40% of its occupants are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Several have lived in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.
The city's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 attendees perished.
