Hong Kong Chief Executive Orders Investigation into Deadly Inferno that Took 151
Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
This past Wednesday, the majority of the tower blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.
No fewer than 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a construction company.
"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 respond rigorously to guarantee all these gaps are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The fire—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by the end of the week, approximately two days after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.
On that day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the probe could require several weeks.
Systemic Failures Identified
Several residents have reported they did not hear a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in every tower were not working effectively.
The relevant regulatory body has halted for now renovation projects on three dozen private developments.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of incitement on the weekend. He was among a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its contents were wiped.
Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also detained by police, as reported by local media reports.
International Reaction
Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.
"Now is the time for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.
Background and Resident Profile
The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 occupants, per a population count.
Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the government-supported development since its construction.
Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 people died.
