Substandard netting found to have been used on Hong Kong blaze buildings; death toll at 151
Chief Secretary Eric Chan says ‘cunning methods’ were used on the Tai Po site
Investigators have found substandard protective nets that were not flame retardant, deliberately concealed by the contractors responsible for renovation work, at the high-rise blocks where Hong Kong’s worst inferno in seven decades devastated a Tai Po housing estate last week.
The death toll rose to 151 on Monday as the probe into the causes of the blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po widened and three days of official mourning ended. A Post check found that the property management company that looked after facilities and security at the estate had a history of safety breaches.
When contacted, it broke its silence to say it was supporting authorities’ relevant investigations into the fire that ripped through seven out of the estate’s eight residential blocks last week.
The final day of official mourning began with crowds streaming to a site near the scene of the tragedy well into late evening to lay flowers and pen tributes while a source said that Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs was reported to be in Shenzhen to monitor the recovery work.
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said director Xia Baolong was in Shenzhen to listen to a briefing on “relevant matters” but the source said Xia was briefed on the rescue and recovery operations and also the coming Legislative Council election on December 7.