🔗 Share this article

The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, comprising the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it started, and required over 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could last several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they did not hear a emergency siren when the fire erupted. Local firefighters discovered that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of incitement on the weekend. He was among a group petitioning for an separate review into the blaze. An internet-based appeal amassed more than 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also questioned by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the reasons of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, according to a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on record took 176 lives in 1948 and was caused by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 people lost their lives.