Hong Kong Chief Executive Orders Probe into Tragic Blaze that Took 151
Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.
At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, comprising the senior figures of a contractor.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are eliminated," stated the leader.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it ignited, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.
That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the investigation could take approximately a month.
Shortcomings Uncovered
A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department discovered that detection devices in every tower were operating inadequately.
Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now construction activities on three dozen private developments.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on allegations of sedition on Saturday. He was part of a group demanding an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its information was removed.
A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also detained by police, per local media reports.
Global Response
Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both denounced the reported arrests.
"Now is the time for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.
Background and Resident Profile
The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, per a population count.
Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years old. A number have lived in the public housing complex from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on in history killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when in excess of 600 individuals died.
