🔗 Share this article

The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that protective netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these gaps are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the investigation could require three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they did not hear a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department determined that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was part of a gathering calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a former district councillor, were also detained by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, per a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years old. A number have resided in the public housing complex since it was built.

The city's second-deadliest fire on in history killed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees perished.