The city's Chief Executive Orders Probe into Tragic Blaze that Took 151
Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 people.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.
No fewer than 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, among them the executives of a construction company.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and required over 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.
That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could last several weeks.
Shortcomings Uncovered
A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department found that alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.
The relevant regulatory body has put on hold works on numerous private sites.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, police reportedly detained a individual on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a group calling for an separate review into the blaze. An online petition gathered over 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its page was taken down.
Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also questioned by authorities, according to news outlets.
Global Response
The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.
"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the catastrophic blaze...rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.
Historical Context and Demographics
The residential complex was built in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 residents, based on a 2021 government census.
Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development since its construction.
The city's second-most fatal incident on record killed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees died.
