The city's Chief Executive Directs Investigation into Deadly Fire that Claimed Lives of 151
The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 residents.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
On Wednesday last week, most of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.
No fewer than 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a construction company.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these loopholes are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.
On that day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the investigation could last several weeks.
Systemic Failures Identified
Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service determined that alarms in each building were malfunctioning.
The relevant regulatory body has halted for now construction activities on numerous private sites.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on suspicion of incitement on Saturday. He was part of a collective demanding an independent inquiry 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, including a past council member, were also detained by authorities, per press accounts.
Global Response
The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both denounced the reported arrests.
"This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the tragic incident...instead of suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.
Background and Resident Profile
Wang Fuk Court was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 occupants, per a population count.
Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are estimated to be older than 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the public housing complex from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees died.
