🔗 Share this article

The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 people have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, comprising the senior figures of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could last three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the incident broke out. Local firefighters found that detection devices in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has put on hold works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of sedition on Saturday. He was among a collective demanding an separate review into the blaze. An internet-based appeal gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by authorities, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the devastating fire...as opposed to silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was built in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are believed to be at least 65 years of age. Some have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 individuals in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals lost their lives.