Hong Kong’s leader said yesterday a judge-led committee will investigate the cause of the city’s deadliest fire in decades and review oversight of building renovations blamed for fanning an inferno that killed at least 156 people.
Police have arrested 15 people on suspicion of manslaughter in a criminal inquiry into last week’s tragedy at the Wang Fuk Court complex, and 12 have also been arrested in a corruption investigation.
It is unclear if any of those people were arrested on both counts.
Authorities have pointed to substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used during renovation works at the high-rise estate for fuelling a blaze that quickly spread to seven of its eight towers, where more than 4,000 people live.
“In order to avoid similar tragedies again, I will set up a judge-led independent committee to examine the reason behind the cause and rapid spreading (of the fire) and related issues,” John Lee, Hong Kong’s chief executive, told a press conference.
Investigators have completed sweeps of all but two of the burnt-out towers, finding residents’ bodies in stairwells and on rooftops, trapped as they tried to flee the smoke and flames.
Around 30 people are still missing.
Some groups in the Chinese-ruled city have called for more transparency and accountability, amid warnings from authorities that any attempts to politicise the disaster would be severely punished.
“I will not tolerate any crimes, particularly crimes that exploit the tragedy that we are facing now,” Lee said, when asked about the cases. He did not comment on the specifics.
China’s national security office has warned individuals against using the disaster to “plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos” of 2019, when massive pro-democracy demonstrations challenged Beijing and triggered a political crisis.
Legislative elections due to take place on Sunday will go ahead as planned, Lee said.
Turnout for that vote – in which only candidates screened by the government as “patriots” can run – could serve as a barometer of public frustration over the handling of the fire.
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