Hong Kong Leader Orders Investigation into Fatal Inferno that Took 151
The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 residents.
A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale
On Wednesday last week, most of the apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.
At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.
"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.
Investigation and Aftermath
The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain.
On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the probe could take approximately a month.
Shortcomings Uncovered
Several residents have reported they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the incident started. Hong Kong's fire service found that warning systems in every tower were malfunctioning.
The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on three dozen private developments.
Calls for Inquiry and Arrests
Separately, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a collective calling for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its contents were wiped.
Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also detained by officers, according to news outlets.
International Reaction
The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the alleged detentions.
"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the origins of the tragic incident...rather than muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.
Background and Resident Profile
The residential complex was completed in 1983 and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.
Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are thought to be older than 65 years of age. Some have lived in the government-supported development from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on in history claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 attendees died.
