🔗 Share this article

The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that protective netting surrounding the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, among them the executives of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these gaps are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it ignited, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the probe could require three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering calling for an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition collected more than 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by police, as reported by local media reports.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 occupants, according to a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are believed to be older than 65 years old. Several have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on in history killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.