The city's Leader Orders Probe into Deadly Fire that Claimed Lives of 151
Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 residents.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
On Wednesday last week, most of the tower blocks at the estate—which was subject to extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.
A minimum of 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, 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 different stages. Hence we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these deficiencies are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.
Investigation and Aftermath
The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it began, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.
On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could require approximately a month.
Shortcomings Uncovered
Several residents have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service determined that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.
The relevant regulatory body has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
Additionally, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.
Two other people, among them a past council member, were also questioned by officers, per news outlets.
Global Response
The rights group and The monitoring body have both condemned the alleged detentions.
"Now is the time for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the devastating fire...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.
Historical Context and Demographics
The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 residents, per a 2021 government census.
Approximately 40 percent of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years of age. A number have lived in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.
The city's second-worst blaze on file took 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 people lost their lives.
