Fire alarms fail during Wang Fuk Court inferno, residents say…
A massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong revealed widespread fire alarm failures and unsafe renovation materials, leading to arrests and an ICAC corruption investigation.
Fire engulfed Wong Ful Court in Hong Kong.
Surprising revelations emerged after the fire broke out at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong, which is home to approximately 4,600 residents. After the fire engulfed the entire building and engulfed apartments throughout the day, some residents complained that some fire alarms did not sound. Confirming that the fire alarms were faulty, the fire service said fire alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.
Hong Kong apartment fire alarms fail
If media reports are to be believed, former district councilor Herman Yiu Kwan-ho said residents reported that alarms were not going off even after they started smelling burning. He also said that those inside were warned when a security guard knocked on their door, leaving them with little time to evacuate. Speaking to Mirror.co.uk, local resident Chan Kwong-tak, 83, claimed he had long raised concerns about fire alarms, the quality of work on the external wall project and workers smoking in the management office.
Another resident, Kwong Pui-lun, a former chairman of the owners company of Wang Fuk Court, said he saw Wang Cheong House on fire while exercising in a nearby park and immediately rushed into the house and called his neighbor to escape because the fire alarm did not sound.
Fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong
Wang Fuk Court, an affordable housing complex completed in 1983, houses approximately 4,000 residents in 1,984 units. When the fire broke out, all eight buildings were surrounded by green netting and scaffolding as part of a major renovation project. Xinhua reported that the fire broke out in scaffolding outside one building and spread to six more buildings. Hong Kong Police on Thursday arrested three people linked to the renovation project on suspicion of “gross negligence” and manslaughter. Initial findings indicate that polystyrene sheets and other construction materials such as mesh and canvas do not meet safety standards, officials said.
Hong Kong fire safety standards
Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption launched an investigation on Thursday into allegations of corruption in the renovation project. Xinhua reported that the HKSAR government ordered a citywide safety inspection on all scaffolding and construction materials used in buildings’ renovation projects, according to the CEO.
