He fire that devastated seven towers of tall buildings public housing in Tai Po district, in Hong Konghas reached the category of massacre. At least 128 personas have been given for dead officially but dozens are still missing or unidentified. The complex, Wang Fuk Courthad 1,984 homes where some resided 4.600 personas. The authorities are already talking about the greatest catastrophe caused by fire in decades while three arrests have been made.
The detainees are executives of one construction company as perpetrators of an alleged crime of involuntary manslaughter for having used flammable materialsincluding mesh and plastic sheeting, which could have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
The authorities reported on Friday that the fire is under control and efforts are focused on identifying bodies and caring for the injured. In parallel, investigators are investigating what caused the horrendous fire and who should be held responsible.
bamboo scaffolding
The fire started in the exterior scaffolding multi-story, built with bamboo. It was initially classified as level 1 alarmbut it quickly escalated to level 4. The affected complex is immersed in a renovation process valued at 330 million Hong Kong dollars (42 million dollars, 36.6 million euros), a project that already caused discontent among numerous residents last year.
Incidents like this once again put the focus on the safety of bamboo scaffolding, common in Hong Kong due to its lightness and low cost, but also associated with risks in contexts of high urban density, constant renovation and conditions conducive to drought.
More than 700 firefighters y 140 fire trucks They continue working to control the fire, which has affected seven blocks of the neighborhood. The high temperatures and falling scaffolding and debris have complicated access for rescue teams.
Neighbors in the area have expressed their indignation for the apparent slowness in the extinction. A resident, surnamed Cheung, told the ‘South China Morning Post’ that “the buildings are burning in chains and no one seems to put them out,” and recalled that at nearby construction sites workers had already been fined for smoking.
A senior police officer in Tai Po explained hours before that, as the fire was not controlled in any of the blocks, it was impossible to carry out floor-by-floor searches to confirm evacuations, so it is still unknown how many people remain trapped.
In parallel, a animal rescue organization He estimated that more than a hundred pets would have been trapped. Hong Kong Pet Club Two veterinary ambulances have been sent to the scene to care for the rescued animals.
He DAB partythe majority in the territory, has suspended all its campaign events planned for the next legislative elections as a sign of respect for the victims.
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