Hong Kong Chief Executive Directs Probe into Fatal Fire that Took 151
The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 residents.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.
No fewer than 13 people have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the senior figures of a construction company.
"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," he said.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to contain.
On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could take approximately a month.
Shortcomings Uncovered
A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a emergency siren when the fire started. The city's fire department determined that warning systems in every tower were malfunctioning.
Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now works on numerous private sites.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to sedition on the weekend. He was among a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its page was taken down.
A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also detained by officers, according to news outlets.
International Reaction
The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the reported arrests.
"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.
Background and Resident Profile
The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 occupants, per a population count.
Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the public housing complex since its construction.
The city's second-most fatal incident on record killed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when in excess of 600 people died.
