The city's Leader Orders Investigation into Tragic Fire that Claimed Lives of 151
The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 individuals.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
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. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.
No fewer than 13 individuals have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the directors of a building firm.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to guarantee all these loopholes are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to subdue.
That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the investigation could last several weeks.
Systemic Failures Identified
Multiple inhabitants have stated they did not hear a smoke detector when the blaze erupted. Local firefighters discovered that alarms in each building were not working effectively.
The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on numerous private sites.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was part of a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its information was removed.
A pair of additional persons, including a ex-local representative, were also questioned by officers, as reported by press accounts.
Global Response
The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the reported arrests.
"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.
Background and Resident Profile
The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.
Approximately 40 percent of its residents are believed to be over 65 years of age. Some have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.
The city's second-most fatal incident on record killed 176 people in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when more than 600 individuals perished.
