The city's Leader Orders Probe into Fatal Fire that Killed 151
The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.
No fewer than 13 individuals have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a construction company.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to ensure that all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.
Investigation and Aftermath
The fire—advancing with speed both vertically and across the separate towers—was finally put out by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and necessitated more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.
The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the probe could require approximately a month.
Systemic Failures Identified
Multiple inhabitants have stated they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service determined that alarms in each building were not working effectively.
The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on numerous private sites.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
Additionally, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was part of a collective demanding an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An internet-based appeal amassed more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its page was taken down.
Two other people, among them a past council member, were also taken in by authorities, as reported by news outlets.
Global Response
Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both denounced the alleged detentions.
"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.
Historical Context and Demographics
The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, based on a recent official survey.
Almost four in ten of its occupants are estimated to be at least 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development from its inception.
The city's second-most fatal incident on file took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when in excess of 600 individuals perished.
