Hong Kong Fire: Death Toll Climbs to 12, Search Nears Completion
HONG KONG - Rescue operations are nearing completion at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, as the confirmed death toll from Wednesday’s devastating fire reached 12, with dozens still missing. The blaze, which erupted during ongoing renovations, has prompted investigations into building safety regulations and the materials used in the complex’s construction.
Indonesia‘s consul-general, Yul Edison, arrived Friday afternoon to assist in identifying the deceased. At least one Indonesian national is confirmed among the fatalities, with manny others from Indonesia and the Philippines employed as domestic helpers within the building. A spokesperson for the Mission for Migrant Workers NGO reported 11 Indonesian and 19 Filipino domestic helpers remain unaccounted for, out of 119 known to reside in the building.
A crowd-sourced web application is compiling reports detailing residents and individual apartments within the complex. Reports indicate a 41-year-old man went missing at 4:45 PM, his last message stating he was trapped in stairwell 25-26.The deaths of a 60-year-old man, a 90-year-old woman, and thier 40-year-old Indian domestic helper, who lived on the 11th floor, have been confirmed. Eight floors above, four deaths were reported in a single apartment.
Police and corruption authorities have arrested three individuals from the construction company overseeing the years-long renovation. Investigators are focusing on the bamboo scaffolding, the green mesh covering it, and the discovery of highly flammable styrofoam used in elevator window coverings throughout the building.
The tragedy has ignited calls for stricter fire safety laws in the construction sector. Lee Kwong-sing, chair of the Hong Kong Institute of Safety Practitioner, noted to RTHK that current regulations rely on codes of practice rather than legally mandated requirements.”There’s no law stipulating that flame-retardant materials must be used,” Lee stated. “It is merely stated in the codes of practice by the Labor Department… But if you turn such codes into a mandatory requirement … than that’ll be another story altogether.”
