Hong Kong Leader Directs Probe into Deadly Blaze that Took 151
The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.
At least 13 people have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a contractor.
"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are eliminated," he said.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and necessitated more than 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.
On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the probe could require three to four weeks.
Systemic Failures Identified
A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the incident started. The city's fire department discovered that detection devices in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.
The relevant regulatory body has halted for now construction activities on 30 private projects.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
Additionally, officers took into custody a individual on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was among a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition amassed more than 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.
A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also taken in by police, as reported by press accounts.
International Reaction
The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.
"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...rather than suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.
Historical Context and Demographics
The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 inhabitants, according to a recent official survey.
Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years old. A number have resided in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.
The city's second-most fatal incident on record took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees died.
