The city's Chief Executive Orders Probe into Tragic Blaze that Claimed Lives of 151
Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.
A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a construction company.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to make certain all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.
Investigation and Aftermath
The fire—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it started, and took over 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.
On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the investigation could take approximately a month.
Systemic Failures Identified
A number of occupants have reported they failed to hear a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in each building were malfunctioning.
The city's construction authority has halted for now renovation projects on three dozen private developments.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, officers took into custody a individual on suspicion of sedition on Saturday. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition amassed in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.
A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also taken in by police, according to local media reports.
International Reaction
Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both denounced the alleged detentions.
"The moment has come for the local government to transparently investigate the origins of the tragic incident...instead of silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.
Background and Resident Profile
The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, per a recent official survey.
Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are thought to be older than 65 years old. Some have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.
Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history took 176 individuals in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 people died.
