Hong Kong’s leader said he will ensure “justice is served” over the inferno that killed more than 150 people last week, as city officials point the finger of blame at construction companies for allegedly using substandard mesh netting to wrap scaffolding on the buildings.
Tuesday was the seventh day after the first deaths, an important day in Chinese tradition as it’s believed to be when the soul of a deceased loved one returns to visit the family home. Hundreds of mourners made an emotional pilgrimage to the fire scene to mark the occasion by praying and laying flowers.
At least 15 people have been arrested over the blaze, which tore through seven high-rise apartment blocks and burned for almost two days. More arrests may follow, authorities said, with the city’s chief executive, John Lee, vowing to “uncover the truth” and “pursue justice” for the dead.
“I will initiate an independent committee, led by a judge, to investigate the reason the fire started and how it spread so fast,” said Lee, who promised “systematic reform”.
“No matter who is involved, we will get to the bottom of it,” Lee said. The death toll rose to 156 people on Tuesday, with 30 still missing, after the city’s worst fire in decades tore through the Wang Fuk Court complex. The housing complex, which was undergoing renovations, was home to more than 4,000 people, many of whom were elderly.
Most of those arrested are consultants, contractors, or subcontractors connected to the construction work. Of those arrested, 15 people, 14 male and one female, are being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter by way of gross negligence, officials said.
A painstaking search effort for the remains of the victims continues at the site, with specialists meticulously combing each apartment.
Substandard netting
Substandard mesh netting that wrapped bamboo scaffolding around the complex towers and failed to meet fire safety standards contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze, officials said Monday.
Seven of 20 samples taken from the complex after the fire had failed fire safety tests, said Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security Chris Tang.
Woo Ying-ming, the city’s corruption commissioner, said the netting around the building had been damaged during a typhoon in July and accused the group of purchasing non-compliant netting to replace it. “They applied it on the damaged spots,” said Woo, who added that officials had calculated they had bought enough to wrap all eight towers at the complex.
Fearing the netting would be examined after a fire at another Hong Kong high-rise in October, the group allegedly purchased more fire-safe netting that they wrapped only around the ground floors of the buildings, said Woo.
“The suspects are very cunning,” said Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki. “For very little profit, they take the lives of many people.”
Polystyrene boards used by contractors to block windows at the complex have been identified as another factor contributing to the inferno’s rapid spread. Officials said they had identified three other building sites in the city where the same technique was being used and asked for the boards to be removed.
Important day of mourning
In a public square next to a housing complex on Tuesday, mourners from all over Hong Kong waited in an orderly line to lay flowers and offer prayers and well-wishes to the victims. Some sobbed as they stood on the sidelines of the growing memorial.
Lying next to the sea of flowers were offerings of fruit and the deceased’s favorite snacks, left there by those who believe their loved ones could still enjoy their much-cherished treats in their afterlife as they returned home on the seventh day.
Volunteer Sarah Lam traveled across the city to Wang Fuk Court to lead some of Tuesday’s memorial efforts.
“Many people have been telling me they feel hopeless and helpless, but I tell them ‘no, there’s actually a lot you can do, you can help us remember them,’” she told CNN.
A woman in her 50s packed a day’s worth of food, snacks, and water and planned to stay for as long as she could to mourn the victims who, she said, died in a “senseless tragedy.”
“It’s so painful to be here, but I just can’t bring myself to leave,” the woman who identified herself as Miss Chan told CNN.
Another man, who works at a flower shop, was cutting and handing out blooms to mourners trickling in.
