An independent committee is to be established to investigate the cause of the city's deadliest fire in decades, including oversight of renovations blamed for the disaster that has claimed 151 lives.
"In order to avoid similar tragedies again, I will set up a judge-led independent committee to examine the reason behind the cause and rapid spreading (of the fire) and related issues," John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, told a news conference.
Police have arrested 13 people for suspected manslaughter in a criminal investigation into last week's disaster, and the anti-corruption body has also arrested 12 people in a probe into possible graft.
Authorities pointed to substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used during renovation works at Wang Fuk Court as fuelling a blaze that quickly spread to seven high-rise towers, home to more than 4,000 people.
Investigators have combed all but two of the seven burnt-out towers, finding bodies of residents in stairwells and on rooftops, trapped as they tried to flee the flames. Around 30 people are still missing.
Asked about the detention of a student from one of the groups, and two others who media reported are being investigated for possible sedition, Lee said, "I will not tolerate any crimes, particularly crimes that exploit the tragedy that we are facing now."
China's national security office has warned individuals against using the disaster to "plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos" of 2019, when massive pro-democracy protests challenged Beijing and triggered a political crisis.
Residents warned of fire risks
Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced "relatively low fire risks" after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city's Labour Department said.
The residents raised concerns in September 2024, including about the potential flammability of the mesh that contractors used to cover the scaffolding, a department spokesperson said.
Tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the blaze did not match fire retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a news conference on Monday.
Thousands of residents have turned out to pay tribute to the victims, who include at least nine domestic helpers from Indonesia and one from the Philippines. Vigils are also due to take place this week in Tokyo, Taipei and London.
More than 23,000 militants from about 20 international groups are currently operating in Afghanistan, posing a threat to regional and global security,...
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in ...
Kazakhstan says it's allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, bio...
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, e...
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 7...
More than 23,000 militants from about 20 international groups are currently operating in Afghanistan, posing a threat to regional and global security, according to Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.
Kazakhstan says it's allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, biodiversity loss and rising industrial pressure on the world’s largest inland body of water.
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 71 following a years-long battle with mental illness.
An Iranian military helicopter crashed in the city of Dorcheh, in Iran on Tuesday (24 February), causing the death of the pilot, co-pilot and two market sellers, state media reported.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, energy, trade and technology sectors. The measures built on restrictions first imposed in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as London also announced fresh military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes in a 6–3 ruling. Allies around the world are weighing possible retaliation, while markets brace for further upheaval.
Torrential downpours have triggered deadly mudslides and widespread flooding in southern Peru, leaving at least seventeen people dead - including fifteen killed in a military helicopter crash - as hundreds of districts across the country remain under a state of emergency.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment