Tai Po fire: owners’ group repeatedly protested against use of flammable materials

Residents of Wang Fuk Court were 'helpless' to enforce fire safety during renovations, inquiry hears, highlighting a regulatory gap in deadly blaze. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Tai Po fire: owners’ group repeatedly protested against use of flammable materials

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A public inquiry into Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades heard on Friday that the owners' corporation of the devastated Wang Fuk Court complex was powerless to compel renovation contractors to use fire-resistant materials, citing a critical absence of statutory requirements. Tony Tsui Moon-come, chairman of the management committee at the time of the blaze, testified that he and fellow residents repeatedly protested the use of flammable materials but were left feeling "helpless" as contractor Prestige Construction proceeded without legal obligation to heed their concerns. The testimony paints a stark picture of a regulatory void where building safety, particularly during renovation works in older housing estates, relies heavily on voluntary compliance rather than enforceable law. Tsui's account detailed how the incorporated owners, a legally recognized body of residents, identified the fire risk posed by certain materials being installed on the building's exterior but found no legal lever to force a change. This gap between identifying a hazard and having the authority to mandate its remedy emerged as a central theme in the first days of the inquiry into the Tai Po fire. The fire at Wang Fuk Court last year resulted in catastrophic loss of life, immediately raising urgent questions about building standards and renovation practices across Hong Kong's densely populated urban landscape. The complex, like many others of its era, was undergoing maintenance work, a common sight in the city. However, the inquiry suggests that common practice may have fatally outpaced regulatory oversight, allowing cost and convenience to potentially trump fundamental safety considerations when no specific law dictated otherwise. Legal experts following the proceedings note that building ordinances in Hong Kong often set standards for new constructions but can lack specific, updated clauses governing the materials used in the refurbishment of existing structures. This creates a grey area where contractors, while not violating the letter of the law, may operate with materials that would not meet contemporary fire safety benchmarks for new builds. The residents' committee, despite its...

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Categoria: cronaca