Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
China will inspect high-rise buildings across the nation for fire safety, its government said on Saturday, in the wake of the deadly fire in a Hong Kong housing complex that has claimed at least 128 lives.
The sweeping campaign will focus on high-density housing that is undergoing external wall renovations or interior modifications, as well as public buildings such as hospitals, office buildings and residential compounds, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management announced.
“We must comprehensively strengthen fire safety management of high-rise buildings to effectively protect people’s lives and property,” the ministry said. Local authorities have been told to carry out inspections and take “immediate corrective action” where needed.
“Strict enforcement measures will be taken against serious violations and those failing to eliminate major safety hazards will be held accountable,” the ministry said.
Inspections will examine whether any flammable materials are being used for insulation or if construction materials such as bamboo scaffolding have been erected. It will also ensure that fire safety equipment and emergency evacuation routes are functional.
Hong Kong’s worst fire for decades broke out on Wednesday in Wang Fuk Court, a typical residential complex with apartment blocks more than 30 storeys high.
The death toll reached 128 on Saturday, according to Hong Kong authorities. Police said that 144 missing residents had been found and were safe, with another 83 injured. Up to 150 remained missing.
Early reports indicated that flammable cladding added during renovations probably helped the fire to spread quickly.
Police said on Saturday that firefighting operations had ended. The emergency services had searched two of the seven blocks that were engulfed in flames but found no more bodies.
The Hong Kong government lowered its flags to half-mast on Saturday to commemorate the disaster while John Lee, the territory’s chief executive, and other officials stood in silence for three minutes, according to local broadcasting RTHK.
Hong Kong authorities have arrested 11 people as they investigate possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during renovations at the complex.
The fire is Hong Kong’s deadliest since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze.
Additional reporting by Cheng Leng in Beijing
