US EditionFire Accountability Backlash Mounts, as Eight More arrested over Hong Kong Fire
Authorities arrested eight construction personnel amid probes into unsafe renovation practices after a fire killed 151 and left about 200 missing at Tai Po's Wang Fuk Court.
- On Wednesday, a fire began midafternoon at Wang Fuk Court public housing estate in Tai Po and quickly spread through seven towers, with authorities saying at least 128 people died.
- Residents of Wang Fuk Court had raised safety warnings in September 2024 about the flammability of protective green mesh on bamboo scaffolding, and preliminary investigators found the fire started on a lower-level scaffolding net and ignited polystyrene/foam panels.
- The Independent Commission Against Corruption said eight suspects, including an engineering consultant and scaffolding subcontractor, were arrested, and police seized documents, with Security Chief Chris Tang warning `more bodies could be discovered`.
- On Saturday, John Lee attended a memorial as flags were lowered, and the government announced a HK$300 million relief fund while suspending 28 projects managed by PC&E for safety audits.
- Beijing ordered a nationwide inspection of high-rise buildings, with the Ministry of Emergency Management targeting fire hydrants, sprinklers, alarms, and discussing replacing bamboo scaffolding with metal.
621 Articles
621 Articles
Rhodora Alcaraz, 28, had only arrived in the city the day before and found herself trapped in the family's apartment in Wang Fuk Court
Hong Kong's leader promises "justice" while city officials blame the construction companies for using lower-quality protection sites. The tragedy balance has reached 151 deaths. 30 people are still missing after the fire from the residential complex in Hong Kong appeared for the first time in Romania TV.
The death toll from the Wang Fuk Court apartment building fire in Hong Kong has risen to 151, with dozens more still missing. Firefighters have been battling the blaze since Wednesday, and have now been relieved by colleagues from a special unit for identifying victims of the disaster. This allowed them to take pictures from inside the buildings. Virtually nothing was left of the furnishings in the apartments where thousands of people lived. A l…
In the devastating burning of the Wang Fuk Court complex, the 28-year-old Filipino Rhodora Alcaraz protected with her own body a three-month-old child. The tragedy - which according to the last budget has caused more than 150 deaths - highlighted the role of the domestic collaborators of south-east Asia in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the indignation and the demonstrations of mourning are growing, but Beijing has warned that every manifestation can be …
The secretary of the safety authorities speaks of inferior scaffolding nets used in those places which have been more difficult to access for controls. A total of 151 fatalities have been counted for the time being.
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