🔗 Share this article

Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, including the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these gaps are plucked," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it began, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the inquiry could last three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire started. Local firefighters determined that alarms in each building were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of incitement on Saturday. He was among a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition amassed in excess of 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, comprising a past council member, were also questioned by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the devastating fire...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had offered 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are estimated to be at least 65 years of age. Several have lived in the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 people in 1948 and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when more than 600 individuals died.