At a press conference jointly held by the Hong Kong Safety Bureau, Fire Department and Hong Kong Police Force on Friday afternoon for an update on the devastating five-alarm fire that broke out at Wang Fu Court in the Tai Po Housing Estate, Chief Security Officer Chris Tan said a preliminary investigation revealed that the external scaffolding netting and protective netting of the building involved in the fire met fire-resistance requirements, but the foam panels installed on the external windows were highly flammable, Global Times reported.
All seven residential blocks in Wangfu Court that were involved in the fire were undergoing renovation work before the incident, raising public concerns that the external scaffolding used in the renovation work might pose a safety risk.
“The fire first broke out on the scaffolding on the lower floor of the Wang Qing Residence, and the foam panels ignited, causing the flames to quickly spread upwards and engulf other buildings in the Wang Fu Court within a short period of time,” Tang said at a press conference, according to local media reports.
When the foam panels ignited, the heat shattered the windows and the fire spread through the apartment, causing simultaneous fires inside and outside the building.
Asked by the media about whether an online video showing employees smoking around scaffolding might have caused the fire, Tang said the main cause of the fire was that it was believed to have started on the lower floor of Wang Qing Court, then spread to the scaffolding and quickly ignited the foam panels on the outside of the windows. The high heat caused the glass to crack and the fire entered the building, quickly spreading to other buildings.
The Fire Department found that the fire alarm system at the Wangfu courtroom did not work effectively during the incident, and announced that the department would take enforcement action.
The fire had killed at least 128 people and injured 79 as of Friday afternoon, according to a press conference. Of the 467 missing person reports received, 200 are still missing.
The rapid fire spread from the foam panels and the fire to other buildings caused glass to break, causing the fire to spread and spread indoors. Tang said at a press conference that a wide area was hit by fires at the same time, causing a catastrophe.
Meanwhile, the high temperatures caused bamboo scaffolding to catch fire, and broken bamboo poles toppled over and ignited other scaffolding, making it difficult to extinguish the fire. The fire spread rapidly, with high-rise scaffolding collapsing one after another, blocking emergency exits and building entrances, making it difficult for firefighters to enter the building for rescue, Tan said, noting that this made it difficult for fire trucks’ rotating steel ladders to reach the optimal working position.
According to a press conference, the high temperatures at the scene caused some areas to flare up, forcing firefighters to repeatedly extinguish the fire, making their work more difficult.
Tang said firefighting and rescue operations were basically completed and the goal was to bring temperatures down quickly. The building department will then carry out an inspection, and once it is safe, police will collect evidence, local media reported.
Hong Kong’s Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ICAC) on Friday arrested two directors of an engineering consulting firm responsible for the upkeep of Wang Fu Court, a housing complex that suffered a massive fire starting Wednesday afternoon, Xinhua News Agency reported.