Hong Kong's apartment fire death toll has mounted to at least 151, with officials revealing that the mesh used to cover scaffolding during renovations was not up to fire safety codes. This revelation comes as frustration over what appears to have been clear safety lapses ahead of the devastating blaze grows.
An investigation into the fire has found that seven out of 20 samples of the synthetic mesh had failed fire safety standards, suggesting contractors may have prioritized cost-saving over the safety of residents and workers. Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan claimed that "they just wanted to make money at the expense of people's lives." The government is facing criticism for its handling of the disaster, with many questioning why safety protocols were not in place.
The fire, which took more than two days to extinguish as it engulfed seven out of eight towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex, has left thousands of people mourning and demanding answers. An official mourning period declared by authorities came to an end on Monday, but thousands turned out to pay their respects, laying flowers, toys, and notes for the victims.
Recovery teams have found another eight bodies, including those of three firefighters who had been unable to retrieve due to the intense heat. The police are still searching for over 30 people listed as missing, with some remains being so badly burned that identification could be impossible.
The government has released photos from inside the charred buildings, where they found the bodies of residents who had tried to escape the inferno in stairwells and on rooftops. One distraught man at the scene claimed his sons had just identified the remains of his 66-year-old wife, who died in the fire.
Anger has mounted in Hong Kong since the fire erupted last week, with many residents expressing frustration over the government's handling of the disaster. The level of public angst has rattled Beijing, to the extent that the central government issued a warning to Hong Kongers against any protests or using the fire to "disrupt" life in the city.
The warning drew parallels to the crackdown on pro-democracy protests that paralyzed the city in 2019. Three people had been arrested on Monday under a sweeping national security law imposed in the wake of those protests, with their lawyer saying they were detained for starting a petition calling for an independent inquiry into the fire – a sign of how concerned Beijing is that the tragedy could lead to fresh civil unrest in the previously semi-autonomous southern metropolis.
An investigation into the fire has found that seven out of 20 samples of the synthetic mesh had failed fire safety standards, suggesting contractors may have prioritized cost-saving over the safety of residents and workers. Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan claimed that "they just wanted to make money at the expense of people's lives." The government is facing criticism for its handling of the disaster, with many questioning why safety protocols were not in place.
The fire, which took more than two days to extinguish as it engulfed seven out of eight towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex, has left thousands of people mourning and demanding answers. An official mourning period declared by authorities came to an end on Monday, but thousands turned out to pay their respects, laying flowers, toys, and notes for the victims.
Recovery teams have found another eight bodies, including those of three firefighters who had been unable to retrieve due to the intense heat. The police are still searching for over 30 people listed as missing, with some remains being so badly burned that identification could be impossible.
The government has released photos from inside the charred buildings, where they found the bodies of residents who had tried to escape the inferno in stairwells and on rooftops. One distraught man at the scene claimed his sons had just identified the remains of his 66-year-old wife, who died in the fire.
Anger has mounted in Hong Kong since the fire erupted last week, with many residents expressing frustration over the government's handling of the disaster. The level of public angst has rattled Beijing, to the extent that the central government issued a warning to Hong Kongers against any protests or using the fire to "disrupt" life in the city.
The warning drew parallels to the crackdown on pro-democracy protests that paralyzed the city in 2019. Three people had been arrested on Monday under a sweeping national security law imposed in the wake of those protests, with their lawyer saying they were detained for starting a petition calling for an independent inquiry into the fire – a sign of how concerned Beijing is that the tragedy could lead to fresh civil unrest in the previously semi-autonomous southern metropolis.
... I mean, 151 people have lost their lives because of some mesh being used as a shortcut. It's like, come on! We should be prioritizing safety over profits 
. The fact that seven out of 20 samples didn't meet fire safety standards is just mind-boggling. And now the government is trying to cover it up? Unacceptable 
. I'm not surprised that Beijing is cracking down on any protests or dissent - they don't want people to get their hands dirty and demand answers 
. It's like, we need some real transparency here 
. The public deserves better than this 
.
The government's handling of it is, like, super questionable. They're releasing photos of charred buildings and expecting people to just deal with it? And now they're warning citizens against protesting or using the fire as a excuse to disrupt life? That's not gonna fly, you know? People are already super frustrated and angry... it's only a matter of time before things get out of hand 
. We need some real accountability here and some actual change. The government can't just sweep this under the rug and expect everyone to move on 
. I mean, come on, who makes decisions like that? It's not like they were trying to save money for something better, it's just reckless endangerment of human lives 
. And now, with all these bodies being found, and people still missing... it's a nightmare 
. I'm so angry that the government is more worried about maintaining order than taking responsibility for their own mistakes 
. It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug and move on, but the truth is, this tragedy will haunt Hong Kongers for a long time 
. The central government better take action and make sure that something like this never happens again, or else people will rise up in protest 
.
this is so disgusting! I mean, we're already dealing with 151 deaths and now it comes out that the mesh used was cheapo fire safety standards? That's just not right. It's like they were more worried about saving a buck than people's lives. And to hear the Chief Secretary say that contractors just wanted to make money off people... it's just jaw-dropping. 
We need real answers here, not just empty apologies from the government.
my heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones, it's so sad that people had to suffer like that just for contractors to make some extra cash 
. but what can we do now? all we can hope is that justice will be served one day 
and now 3 people are being arrested under national security law just for starting a petition calling for an independent inquiry into the blaze... this is just so messed up! 
. The fact that Beijing is sending warnings not to protest or cause any trouble shows they're worried about getting their hands dirty 
. We need to hold our leaders accountable for this tragedy 
.
. It's just heartbreaking thinking about all these people affected by this disaster 
meanwhile, the gov is trying to spin this as some kind of " warning" to the people not to protest... yeah right. i mean, come on, we all know what's really going on here. 
that's so heartbreaking. i was talking to my friend who lives in hk and she's still trying to process everything that happened. she said it feels like the govts just gave up on the ppl there. anyway, its clear that beijing is getting nervous cuz the ppl are getting restless 
I hope the government takes responsibility for its role in this disaster and provides real answers to those who have lost loved ones and are still searching for them 
. It's not about money, it's about lives. And now we've got 151 families torn apart by the government's failures 
. The city needs answers, not warnings to quiet down 
That's basically a threat to free speech and democracy. It's like, can't they see that people are just trying to find answers and closure after what happened? This whole thing is just a huge mess, and I don't think anyone knows where it's going to end.
. Like, who wants to skimp on fire safety codes just to save a buck? It's just common sense, right? 
. And let's not forget, the government did declare an official mourning period which is actually pretty cool 
. But then again, shouldn't they have had better safety protocols in place from the start? It's like, a catch-22 situation 
. I don't know, man... I just feel really confused about this whole thing 
.