Hong Kong fire: police blame construction company’s ‘gross negligence’ as death toll rises to 44 | Hong Kong apartment fires
Unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of a devastating fire at a group of residential skyscrapers that killed at least 44 people and left almost 300 missing, Hong Kong police have claimed.
Firefighters were still struggling to reach residents trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday due to the intense heat and thick smoke created by the fire.
The death toll from Wednesday’s blaze reached 44, with 45 people in critical condition, authorities said Thursday, making it the deadliest blaze in Hong Kong in decades. In 1962, 44 people died when several buildings caught fire in the Sham Shui Po district.
By Thursday afternoon, the fire appeared to be largely extinguished. Authorities had previously announced that they had taken the fire under control in four blocks and that work was continuing in three blocks.
A special team was formed to investigate the cause of the fire in the Tai Po district, which consists of eight 31-storey towers containing approximately 2,000 apartments and hosting approximately 4,800 people. At the time, renovations were being carried out on the site.
Hong Kong police chief Eileen Chung claimed on Thursday: “We have reason to believe that the responsible parties of the company acted grossly negligently, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, causing huge losses.”
Chung added that three people from the construction company, two managers and an engineering consultant, were arrested, without giving further details.
Chung did not name the company, but police searched the office of Prestige Construction and Engineering Corp. later Thursday. According to local media reports, police seized the documents in the boxes as evidence.
Separately the government identified registered contractor As Prestige Construction and Engineering Company for the building complex. In the statement, drawing attention to the obligation to use fire-resistant nets and screens on scaffolds, the following statements were made: “In case of any violation of the Building Regulation requirements, the matter will be referred to the BD. [Buildings Department] “To take action in accordance with the regulations, including prosecution or disciplinary investigation.”
Prestige’s phones rang unanswered, according to the Associated Press.
Police alleged the buildings were covered with protective mesh covers and plastic that may not meet fire standards, and discovered that some windows in an unaffected building had been covered with foam material installed by a construction company carrying out maintenance work.
It is estimated that the fire spread to the bamboo scaffolding around the building and was caused by the wind. Bamboo scaffolding is a ubiquitous sight on Hong Kong construction sites, but the government has said it is being phased out for safety reasons.
The latest fire has led to comparisons with the Grenfell Tower inferno in London in 2017, which killed 72 people. The failures of the government and the construction industry, as well as the companies that equipped the exterior with flammable coatings, were blamed for this fire. All three companies that came under heavy criticism in the findings of the Grenfell inquiry last year continued to deny wrongdoing.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s chief executive, told reporters: “The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue trapped residents. The second is to support the injured. The third is to provide support and recovery. Then we will launch a thorough investigation.” He added that approximately 279 people could not be reached and 900 people were in eight shelters.
Tai Po district authorities opened shelters in local community halls; At least one of them was full Wednesday night, according to local media reports, and police set up a shelter. injured helpline.
Many forums and campaign events planned to be held in the coming days regarding the December 7 elections have also been cancelled.
Dozens of shocked residents Wednesday night, many sobbing, watched from nearby sidewalks as smoke billowed from the complex.
The 71-year-old resident, surnamed Wong, burst into tears, saying his wife was trapped inside.
A woman surnamed Chu, who has been living here for a long time, said that she still cannot communicate with her friends living in the next block. After staying at a friend’s house on Wednesday night, the 70-year-old man returned to find his house still on fire. “We don’t know what to do,” he said.
“It’s heartbreaking. We’re worried there are people trapped inside,” a Tai Po resident who gave their surname as So told Agence France-Presse near the scene. “There is nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, whether old or young, can return safely.”
Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived in Block 2 at one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise at around 2.45pm (6.45am UK time) and saw a fire breaking out in a nearby block. “I immediately went back to collect my things,” he told Reuters. “I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go home.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and minimize loss of life and property, as residents expressed anger online over the possible causes of the fire, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported.
A video has emerged showing several construction workers smoking on bamboo scaffolding surrounding one of the complex’s blocks during the renovation process.
Construction standards in Hong Kong are relatively high and have improved greatly in recent years, but the Industrial Accident Victims’ Rights Association, a local advocacy group, has expressed deep concern about scaffolding-related fires, noting similar incidents in April, May and October.
Although fire danger has not been cited as the reason for phasing out bamboo scaffolding, there have been at least three fires related to bamboo scaffolding this year, according to the Industrial Accident Victims’ Rights Association in Hong Kong.
Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise residential complexes in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Located near the border with mainland China, Tai Po is an established suburban area of approximately 300,000 residents.
According to estate agents’ websites, the complex, which has been in use since 1983, is covered by the government’s subsidized homeownership scheme. According to online posts, renovations have been underway for a year at a cost of HK$330 million ($42.4 million), with each unit going for between HK$160,000 and HK$180,000.
via Reuters
