HONG KONG, Dec 4 — Hong Kong authorities rushed on Thursday to remove mesh netting on all buildings undergoing renovation across the city after the material was blamed for fanning a blaze last week that has killed at least 159 people.
The government late on Wednesday ordered the immediate removal of scaffolding nets on all public and private residential buildings by Saturday, to “protect public safety and put residents and businesses’ minds at ease.”
The move comes as authorities investigate the cause of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, having pointed to the mesh for fuelling an inferno that engulfed seven high-rise apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court complex on Nov 26.
Renovation work across the financial hub will effectively grind to a standstill for an undefined period of time as inspectors verify the netting meets safety standards.
At a housing estate in Sha Tin, around 15 minutes drive from the Wang Fuk complex, workers began dismantling protective netting on Thursday morning.
C.K. Lau, an 82 year old retiree living at the Sha Tin housing estate, said removing the nets reduced the chance of a similar type of incident.
“The residents feel better if they (the government) agree to take it down. So they agreed to take it down within this week.”
Police have arrested a total of 21 people in their probe into the fire.
Among them are 15 from various construction companies suspected of manslaughter, including two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction, the main contractor at Wang Fuk Court.
A further six from the fire service installation contractor have been arrested on suspicion of fraud.
Authorities said substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used during renovation work at the doomed estate likely fuelled the 40-hour inferno, while fire alarms were also not operating properly.
Residents of Wang Fuk Court, home to 4,600 people, were told by authorities last year they faced “relatively low fire risks” after they complained about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said.
In response to calls for transparency and accountability, city leader John Lee has also ordered a judge-led committee to investigate the fire and review oversight of building renovations.
