A deadly No. 5 fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, destroying the homes of thousands of citizens. While the disaster is ruthless, love exists among people. The Development Bureau posted on social media tonight (Nov. 28), stating that the Bureau has noted comments suggesting the government intends to blame bamboo scaffolding for the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, clarifying that such interpretations misrepresent the government's position. The Development Bureau emphasized that the investigation into the Wang Fuk Court fire is still ongoing, and no conclusions have been reached yet.
The Bureau noted that, as the government has repeatedly explained in recent days, the follow-up actions include the Buildings Department conducting a comprehensive review of the requirements, guidelines, and regulatory provisions for all types of scaffolding—both metal and bamboo—as well as related protective netting. Therefore, from the beginning, the government's review has been comprehensive and will not target only one specific type of scaffolding.
Regarding why the authorities are once again proposing the replacement of bamboo scaffolding with metal scaffolding where appropriate at construction sites, this is primarily because there have long been opinions that Hong Kong's continued reliance on bamboo scaffolding as the mainstream practice differs from international norms. Bamboo scaffolding inherently has lower fire resistance compared to metal scaffolding.
Additionally, metal scaffolding, utilizing standardized components, can provide neater access routes, platforms, and walkways, thereby helping to enhance construction site safety. The Development Bureau noted that, considering these discussions have persisted for many years, the Bureau believes that now is an appropriate time to discuss a roadmap with the industry as part of the comprehensive review of scaffolding and protective netting regulations. Consensus was already reached during yesterday's (Nov. 27) meeting regarding the follow-up work for formulating this roadmap.
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