Shock is giving way to anger in Hong Kong after a massive fire ripped through a densely populated subsidised housing estate on Wednesday, killing at least 128 people and critically injuring dozens.
Authorities say substandard mesh and plastic sheets on the buildings' windows may have spread the blaze, which raged for more than a day. Firefighting operations have now ended, with dozens of residents still unaccounted for.
Questions are mounting as to how the fire at Wang Fuk Court spread so rapidly and who is responsible, with many calling it a 'man-made disaster'.
Three individuals involved in the renovation of the buildings have been arrested for manslaughter, and authorities have initiated a corruption inquiry.
A viral post on social media states: It's not an accident. Residents have expressed grave concerns that the fire alarm did not sound during the blaze. Authorities confirmed that fire alarms across all eight blocks were not functioning properly.
Kiko Ma, a homeowner who resides in Canada, revealed that the alarms were disabled due to ongoing renovation work, as construction staff frequently used fire exits.
This was preventable... A lot of people did not do their duties, laments Ma, blaming the use of poor-quality flammable materials by the renovation company.
This fire is now deemed Hong Kong's deadliest in 63 years, surpassing the 1962 Sham Shui Po inferno. Wang Fuk Court, built in the 1980s, housed around 4,600 residents, many of whom are elderly.
Officials are investigating whether the renovation materials used complied with fire safety standards, emphasizing the rapid spread fueled by foam blocks placed outside the windows.
As authorities conduct inspections, experts are calling for a re-evaluation of the safety standards governing multi-story housing renovations, given the recent history of similar incidents in the city.
