A huge fire that began on Wednesday, November 26, in a Hong Kong apartment complex has killed at least 94 people and left many missing. Police said on Thursday the blaze may have been caused by a “grossly negligent” construction firm using unsafe materials.
Police said the buildings were covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that may not meet fire standards. They found that some windows in one of the buildings were sealed with a foam material, installed by a construction company carrying out maintenance work.
“We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent, said.
What fed the flames
The fire has highlighted Hong Kong’s risky use of flammable bamboo scaffolding and mesh for building work in a tradition dating back centuries to mainland China.
Bamboo – cheap, abundant, flexible and often bound with nylon cords – has long been the material of choice for scaffolding for the many skyscrapers and other buildings in the former British colony.
The bamboo lattices are also often used alongside green construction mesh to prevent debris from injuring passers-by. That was the case in the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex.
A vector diagram of one section of bamboo scaffolding, showing the installation of the green mesh and a window with white foam board.
Chinese builders have used bamboo since ancient times, and the material is traditionally seen as a symbol of grace and moral fortitude. According to some accounts, it was used for scaffolding and tools in the building of the Great Wall of China.
It has now been largely phased out in China and replaced by sturdier metal scaffolding and clamps. But Hong Kong, despite its modernity, still has around 2,500 registered bamboo scaffolding masters plying their trade, according to official figures.
The origin of the blaze is unclear, but flames spread rapidly across the green netting and sent bamboo lattices crashing to the ground.
Plastic foam boards and burnt green netting
Photos taken after the blaze show remnants of the burnt green mesh that covered the bamboo scaffolding which surrounded the towers. White plastic foam boards are also visible blocking most of the windows.
An image of roughly nine windows, across three floors. Each window has a white foam board blocking up the whole area and there small strips of green mesh hanging from the bamboo scaffolding which is mostly intact except for some signs of fire damage.
Eileen Chung, Senior Superintendent of the Hong Kong Police Force, said officers investigating an unaffected building at the scene found that the windows in elevator lobbies on every floor were sealed with foam material. She said they would
REUTERS