Departments must communicate better, fire chief tells Tai Po blaze hearing

Fire chief admits communication failures with building authorities after independent report reveals inaction on safety breaches at Wang Fuk Court fire that killed 168. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Departments must communicate better, fire chief tells Tai Po blaze hearing

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Hong Kong’s fire services chief has acknowledged that better communication with building authorities is needed after an independent committee revealed that his officers had taken no action against possible safety breaches during renovations at Wang Fuk Court, where 168 people were killed in last year’s inferno. Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin made the admission on Friday during a hearing into the blaze, which has become one of the deadliest in the city’s history. The hearing, convened to examine the response and regulatory oversight leading up to the disaster, heard that fire inspectors had flagged concerns about renovation work at the public housing estate but failed to escalate them to the Buildings Department or other relevant agencies. Yeung insisted that authorities had clear divisions of work when it came to the supervision of renovation projects, but conceded that the current system for sharing information between departments was insufficient. “We need to improve our communication channels with building authorities to ensure that potential hazards are addressed promptly,” Yeung told the hearing. The independent committee’s report, released earlier this month, criticized the Fire Services Department for not following up on violations observed during routine inspections at Wang Fuk Court, including blocked escape routes and improper storage of flammable materials. The report suggested that a lack of coordination between the fire department and the Buildings Department contributed to the tragedy. The fire, which broke out in the early hours of April 12 last year, tore through the 40-story Wang Fuk Court, trapping residents in their homes. Many victims died from smoke inhalation or were unable to escape due to locked fire doors and obstructed corridors. Survivors and family members of the deceased have called for accountability, demanding to know why safety warnings were ignored. The hearing has also raised questions about the adequacy of fire safety regulations in Hong Kong’s aging public housing stock, with some experts arguing that renovation oversight is fragmented among multiple agencies with overlapping but poorly defined responsibilities....

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Categoria: cronaca