🔗 Share this article

The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that protective netting installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 people have been taken into custody over suspected manslaughter, including the directors of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could take several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they failed to hear a smoke detector when the incident started. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a collective calling for an independent inquiry into the fire. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, among them a ex-local representative, were also taken in by police, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the origins of the tragic incident...rather than suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be over 65 years old. A number have resided in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-most fatal incident on in history claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 people lost their lives.