Newsletters
Hong Kong leader John Lee on Dec. 2 announced the establishment of a judge-led “independent committee” to investigate last week’s devastating apartment complex fire that killed 151 people.
The blaze, the city’s worst in decades, spread rapidly through exterior scaffolding netting that failed to meet fire-resistance standards.
“I will establish an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review to reform the building work system and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future,” Lee said at a news conference.
He added that a judge will chair the panel and will examine safety protocols, supervision, construction and maintenance practices.
Hong Kong traditionally uses judge-led “commissions of inquiry” inherited from British colonial administration, though Lee opted for the term “independent committee.”
1 min read
Police and the anti-corruption watchdog have arrested 14 people, 13 of them on suspicion of manslaughter. Investigators allege that contractors attempted to mix substandard netting with approved materials to mislead inspectors. Lee condemned the suspects as “evil.”
The fire erupted on Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court high-rise estate in Tai Po. Police have now completed searches in five of the seven affected towers, recovering victims’ remains from apartments, hallways and stairwells.
Some families returned to Wang Fuk Court on Monday to conduct traditional funeral rites, which are expected to continue as recovery work proceeds. The fire has been described as the world’s deadliest residential building blaze since 1980.
7 min read
