Hong Kong officials have begun a three-day mourning period following the city’s most deadly fire in nearly 80 years, which resulted in at least 128 confirmed fatalities. The fire, which affected several tower blocks, occurred on a Wednesday, and hundreds of individuals are still unaccounted for.
The government conducted a moment of silence on Saturday morning, attended by city leader John Lee and other officials, lasting three minutes. Flags of both China and Hong Kong were lowered to half-mast in observance. Memorial points have also been established throughout the city, allowing the public to pay respects and sign condolence books.
The fire rapidly spread to seven of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court, with over 2,000 firefighters deployed over nearly two days to bring it under control. Investigations are ongoing, although the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. Authorities have noted that polystyrene and protective netting on the windows may have contributed to the fire’s speed, while the tower blocks were covered in bamboo scaffolding, a common feature in Hong Kong construction.
In connection with the incident, eight individuals have been arrested on suspicion of corruption related to the ongoing renovation works, including directors of an engineering company and subcontractors. Earlier, three others had been detained on manslaughter charges. Hong Kong’s Labour and Welfare Secretary, Chris Sun, mentioned that his department had conducted 16 inspections of the renovation works at Wang Fuk Court since July of the previous year.
Wang Fuk Court, constructed in 1983, had originally housed 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 residents, as reported in a 2021 government census. The incident has sparked public anger, with some residents alleging broken fire alarms and negligence concerning the renovation work at the site.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dy9lne2plo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss