The demise toll rose to 159 on Wednesday after police completed looking all seven of the high-rise towers that had been engulfed in flames that took 40 hours to place out, officers mentioned.
The blaze elicited grief, anger and concern within the densely packed metropolis of seven.5 million folks, which returned to China from British colonial rule in 1997.
“This case, I believe, goes to the very core of Hong Kong,” mentioned John Burns, an emeritus professor of politics and public administration on the College of Hong Kong. “And one motive is as a result of all of us dwell in buildings similar to that. This might occur to any one among us.”
Officers have been conducting inspections at building websites across the metropolis and mentioned Wednesday that mesh netting could be faraway from 200 buildings by Saturday.
For Beijing, the hearth dangers changing into “a nationwide safety risk, a risk to stability, and in order that’s why they’ve taken the motion that they did,” Burns mentioned.
The Hong Kong authorities issued its personal warning on Wednesday in opposition to unnamed “anti-China and destabilizing forces,” accusing them of spreading misinformation and “distributing seditious pamphlets.”
A spokesperson mentioned that “any malicious smearing” aimed toward authorities or rescue personnel wouldn’t be tolerated, “particularly prison acts which are supposed to incite hatred in opposition to the federal government.”
Wang Fuk Court docket was residence to about 4,600 folks, a couple of third of them over age 65. Those that had been killed ranged in age from 1 to 97, officers mentioned.
Residents of the one tower that was not affected had been briefly allowed to return to their houses on Wednesday and Thursday to pack their belongings whereas the investigation continues.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s prime chief, mentioned Tuesday that an unbiased committee led by a decide would examine the reason for the hearth and that these accountable could be held accountable “no matter who she or he is.”
He mentioned the investigation would look at “problems with corruption, bid-rigging and irregular tendering in constructing upkeep tasks,” in addition to the set up and operation of fireplace security methods, and that the outcomes could be made public.
“We’ll reform the entire constructing renovation system to make sure that such issues won’t occur once more,” Lee informed reporters.
A separate investigation is already underway by town’s anti-corruption physique.
Fifteen folks from varied building corporations have been arrested thus far on suspicion of manslaughter. This week, police additionally arrested six folks from a registered fireplace service set up contractor on suspicion of fraud.
Lee didn’t handle stories that not less than three folks have been arrested by the nationwide safety police for the reason that weekend over their criticism of the federal government, however he mentioned he wouldn’t tolerate any crimes that “exploit the tragedy.”
Kenneth Cheung, a former district councilor who was arrested after publicly criticizing the hearth response, mentioned in a social media submit Monday that he had been launched on bail pending an investigation. He mentioned in a separate submit Tuesday that he couldn’t say extra “as there’s a gag order concerning the nationwide safety case.”
The 2 others reportedly arrested for alleged sedition had been Miles Kwan, a college pupil who created a web based petition calling for an unbiased investigation into the hearth, and an unidentified volunteer who was handing out provides to fireside victims. Kwan was seen leaving a police station on Monday.
Hong Kong police didn’t straight remark when requested in regards to the reported sedition arrests.
A 12 months of complaints
Residents of Wang Fuk Court docket had complained for greater than a 12 months that the renovations posed fireplace hazards, however their issues had been dismissed.
The Labor Division mentioned it had carried out 16 investigations of the property since renovations started in July 2024. Throughout that point the division issued six notices and initiated three prosecutions, it mentioned in an announcement, which didn’t present particulars.
Throughout the newest inspection on Nov. 20, lower than every week earlier than the hearth, the division once more warned the contractor to take acceptable fireplace prevention measures, although it mentioned it didn’t discover any points warranting prosecution.
Hong Kong noticed a three-day official mourning interval from Saturday to Monday, with 18 places arrange throughout town for mourners to signal condolence books.
In Tai Po, the air round Wang Fuk Court docket nonetheless bore a charred scent on Monday, 5 days after the hearth. Regardless of the a whole lot of individuals gathered round a de facto memorial, a silence hung within the air, damaged solely by the sound of birds chirping because the solar set.
Mourners, a lot of them teary-eyed, gently laid white lilies in a circle in a grassy space that had as soon as been a sitting-out space for the property’s residents.
“There’s this spirit of serving to each other and watching out for one another,” mentioned Hebbe Chan, a 20-year-old college pupil who had come to pay her respects.
“Solely after I got here to the scene in the present day did I begin to really feel a sort of unhappiness, to really feel that this hearth has actually taken away so, a lot,” she mentioned.
