The fire that broke out in a residential complex in Tai Po, Hong Kongthis Wednesday (26) is already extinct and the number of fatalities continues to increaseaidair, reaching 128 this Friday (28), a figure that could rise, given that around 200 residents of the building remain missing two days after the “deadliest fire in decades in Hong Kong”, according to the report. The New York Times.
With more than 70 people hospitalized, some in critical condition, Hong Kong’s security secretary, Chris Tang, reports to the American newspaper that the rescue team removed more than 100 bodies from the residential complex, but that there were still charred remains inside the building, so only 39 victims have been identified so far.
Inside the complex, some areas still register temperatures of around 200 degrees Celsius, said Police Commissioner Joe Chow, so authorities have not yet been able to carry out the proper investigation inside the building. Firefighters continued to pour water into these areas to prevent a relight.
Family members gather in a nearby communitywhere they are shown photographs of the victims so that they can be identified, and others wait anxiously outside the complex.
The great fire, the biggest in Hong Kong since 1948 (when it was still a British colony), the year in which 200 people died in a warehouse firebegan in a 32-story building and quickly spread to six neighboring towers. Chris Tang denounces that the fire originated from construction flammable, namely a blanket used to cover the building while renovation work was carried out and polystyrene foam, which protected the windows and ended up causing them to overheat, breaking the glass and allowing the flames to take over the interior.
Among the victims was a fireman 37-year-old Ho Wai-ho, according to The New York Times, a war veteran who collapsed in the flames and died in the meantime, already in the hospital. “Firefighters had to go to each floor and each unit to put out the fires and conduct security operations”, said the security secretary, who also explained the difficulty of the operations, compounded by the objects that blocked the path and the burning bamboo canes that fell to the floor.
Andy Yeung, director of service firemenresponded to the criticism that was being made regarding the way in which the firefighting was carried out, pointing out that the aerial means (helicopters) would not have been effective as they would have dropped water from too high a height and would have had a fan effect that would have spread the flames further, adding that trucks with ladders would also not have been a viable alternative given the limited space available.
Two directors and a consultant linked to the construction company, who installed the materials, were arrested this Thursday (27), investigated for manslaughter and gross negligence, and 11 other construction projects in residential buildings where the company was also operating are being investigated.
The government of Hong Kong, chosen by China despite remaining a semi-autonomous community, stated that it would cancel all “activities public non-essential” in order to devote your time and resources to aid of the fire victims and their families. Next month, on December 7th, Hong Kong will have elections to the Legislative Councilwhich John Lee, Chief Executive, has already admitted could be postponed following the fire.
The community has organized itself in a center close to the towers, where more than 100 mattresses were placed on the floor, boxes of children’s clothes and information posters explaining how to access emergency funds provided by the government. Around 500 residents are currently distributed across nine temporary reception centers and the Government has already announced that it would allocate a subsidy of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (around 1100 euros at current exchange rates) to affected homes and a separate fund of around 4220 euros “to assist residents and help with work associate”, quotes the newspaper.
Text written by André Sousa and edited by