Wang Fuk Court hazard complaints not fire department’s business, probe hears

Fire department officers tell inquiry that complaints about renovation hazards were not their responsibility, raising questions about regulatory gaps. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Wang Fuk Court hazard complaints not fire department’s business, probe hears

Contesto

Four senior officers from Hong Kong's Fire Services Department testified on Wednesday that complaints regarding hazardous renovation work at the Wang Fuk Court estate were not within their purview, a claim made during the 17th day of hearings before an independent committee investigating the catastrophic fire. The blaze, which erupted on November 26 last year during a major renovation project, resulted in 168 fatalities, displaced approximately 5,000 residents, and gutted seven of the estate's eight residential blocks. The officers' testimony centered on a critical period before the disaster, when residents had reportedly raised alarms about unsafe conditions at the construction site. The inquiry heard that despite multiple complaints from the public concerning the storage of flammable materials and blocked escape routes, fire department officials considered these to be matters for the Buildings Department. This delineation of responsibility, according to the testimony, is based on established protocols where fire services focus on active firefighting, emergency response, and the enforcement of fire safety standards in completed structures, not on regulating ongoing construction sites. The officers stated their role was to respond to emergencies, not to conduct proactive inspections of renovation sites for compliance with building or worksite safety regulations. This admission has thrust a glaring spotlight onto the potential regulatory chasm that may have existed in the lead-up to the tragedy. The committee's probing questions suggest a central line of investigation: whether a dangerous gap in oversight allowed known hazards to persist unchecked. Survivors and victims' families have long contended that the renovation contractor flouted safety rules, allegations that have been partially corroborated by earlier testimony from other government departments and construction workers. The fire department's position underscores a systemic issue where hazards falling between departmental mandates can evade timely intervention. The Wang Fuk Court fire stands as one of Hong Kong's deadliest peacetime disasters, shocking the city and triggering widespread public outrage...

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Categoria: cronaca