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Construction netting found at the site of a deadly apartment complex fire in Hong Kong last week did not meet safety codes, according to a preliminary investigation, as the death toll from the disaster passed 150.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po district, engulfed seven of the eight high-rise towers undergoing renovations in the complex.
An investigation led by Hong Kong’s police force concluded that protective netting collected at seven out of 20 locations did not comply with anti-flammability standards, Eric Chan, Hong Kong’s chief secretary, said on Monday.
“We strongly condemn those involved in the case for killing so many lives in pursuit of petty profits,” Chan said at a press conference.
The death toll from the accident has risen to 151 people, with more than 40 still missing and 39 bodies yet to be identified, according to authorities. Officials have said a full investigation of the site could take three to four weeks.
Much of the public attention in the wake of the disaster has focused on the safety standards of the materials used in the renovations, including protective netting around bamboo scaffolding and foam panels that covered windows.
“We believe the cause [of the fire] is that the safety netting did not meet fireproof standards . . . which allowed the blaze to spread so severely. In addition, the foam panels sealing the windows drew the flames into the units,” security secretary Chris Tang said on Monday.
“Our investigation . . . shows that someone mixed flammable netting with the compliant ones,” he added.
A special task force set up by the police force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog, had arrested 14 people on corruption and manslaughter charges, Tang said. The criminal investigation is ongoing.
Tang added that police had also arrested several people, whom he accused of “[using] the painful moment” to “incite discontent with the government”, over national security violations.
Public outcry has mounted in the wake of the disaster. Authorities have sought to contain any wider political fallout ahead of elections on Sunday for the city’s legislative council.
Hong Kong’s buildings department has ordered Prestige Construction & Engineering Ltd, the registered contractor for the renovation of Wang Fuk Court, to immediately halt 28 other projects, citing “lack of confidence in its ability to ensure safety”.
The Financial Times was unable to immediately reach the company for comment.
