The investigation into the No. 5 alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has reached a breakthrough. Out of 20 scaffolding mesh samples collected, seven failed to meet flame-retardant standards. It is suspected that substandard protective mesh was mixed with compliant mesh, which costs twice as much, in an attempt to pass off inferior materials. Eric Chan, Chief Secretary for Administration, criticized the suspects for their deliberate and deceitful methods in carrying out the crime.
"This can be described as a premeditated crime, utterly shameful."
Chan, along with Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Danny Woo, and Director of Crime and Security of the Hong Kong Police Force Joe Chan, announced the progress of the follow-up investigation into the Wang Fuk Court fire yesterday (Dec. 1).
Problematic mesh sampled from hard-to-reach areas
Tang stated that while the fire was still ongoing, the police collected mesh samples from the lower floors of unaffected buildings for preliminary testing. The initial test results indicated compliance with fire safety standards, but this contradicted the extent of burning observed at the fire scene.
Therefore, after the fire was somewhat brought under control, 20 samples were taken from various high-, middle-, and low-level locations across eight buildings, including areas difficult to access, some of which required firefighters to climb out onto exterior walls to obtain samples.
Testing revealed that seven samples did not meet flame-retardant standards. It was found that the mesh at the bottom of the scaffolding had a higher probability of being compliant, while the mesh from hard-to-reach sampling areas had a higher probability of being non-compliant. Consequently, more samples will be collected for further in-depth investigation.
14 arrested so far
Tang pointed out that it is suspected that non-compliant protective mesh was mixed in with compliant mesh. When substandard mesh encountered fire, coupled with the flammability of foam boards, it led to the rapid spread of the blaze. Additionally, the foam boards caused glass windows to shatter, allowing the fire to enter the buildings. The joint investigation team established by the police and ICAC has arrested 14 individuals so far.
Woo noted that last Thursday (Nov. 27), ICAC set up a dedicated task force to conduct a comprehensive investigation into possible corruption related to the Wang Fuk Court renovation project. To date, 12 people have been arrested, including engineering consultants, contractors, and scaffolding subcontractors.
In July this year, a typhoon damaged the originally installed protective mesh on the scaffolding. The suspects then purchased 2,300 rolls (approximately 75,000 square meters) of substandard protective mesh at HK$54 per roll for repairs. However, following a fire involving scaffolding protective mesh in Central at the end of October this year, the suspects became concerned that the mesh at Wang Fuk Court might be subject to spot checks. They then purchased a batch of mesh meeting flame-retardant standards.
Woo said, "They installed this compliant protective mesh at the base of the scaffolding on each building, attempting to pass off the inferior material. This allowed them to achieve passing results in subsequent tests."
"Will investigate thoroughly"
Chan described the suspects as "deceitful," installing non-compliant mesh in locations generally inaccessible for sampling to evade government detection. He condemned this as premeditated, planned criminal activity, calling it "utterly shameful" and "despicable." He strongly condemned the suspects for endangering multiple lives for mere petty profits, vowing that the government will pursue legal accountability to the fullest extent to deliver justice for the victims.
"This is a very serious illegal act. If similar mesh issues exist in other buildings, we will also investigate thoroughly," he said. He stated that one of the future directions for the task force is to strengthen regulations and oversight regarding such violations to prevent similar incidents.
As of 11 a.m. yesterday, the Buildings Department had inspected 359 buildings reported to be undergoing major external renovations. It confirmed that 300 had scaffolding mesh, from which samples were immediately taken and are being sent for testing in batches. On-site inspections and sampling will continue to complete related work in batches by Dec. 7. The Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit (ICU) has already collected mesh samples from various locations in four Home Ownership Scheme estates that have received mandatory building inspection notices. These samples have been sent to the government laboratory for testing.
Additionally, during inspections, the Buildings Department and the Housing Bureau's ICU are also checking for the presence of plastic or foam boards covering windows. Previously, such boards were found covering windows at three projects: Fortress Garden in North Point, China Travel Building in Central, and Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po. Related inspections are ongoing. If further instances are discovered, immediate removal will be demanded, with follow-up actions.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Zhang Xian; English editor: Darius)
Journalist's View | Gambler's mentality costs lives
By Darius
Why do casinos always profit despite offering high prizes? Because with large sample sizes, probability doesn't lie. Once someone adopts a so-called "gambler's mentality," no matter how many times they win, they will ultimately suffer significant losses, giving all their money back to the casino.
Coming back to the topic, wasn't the company responsible for the Wang Fuk Court renovation project operating with a "gambler's mentality"? In Pok Fu Lam, a similar situation of "half-genuine, half-fake" flame-retardant mesh was found at Baguio Villa, a community also under their renovation responsibility. This "half-genuine, half-fake" mesh was essentially a gamble that the government wouldn't detect the problem. However, the stakes of this "high-stakes gamble" included not just costs and potential fines, but also the property and even lives of the residents. These "gamblers" probably never anticipated this outcome!
A mainland blogger focused on helping people quit gambling once said that it is almost impossible for a gambler to completely give up gambling. Only by using forceful means to keep them away from gambling forever can future stability be guaranteed. In this incident, we witnessed the tears of residents and saw how a reckless gambler lost everything and incurred a heavy debt of blood. What we must do is ensure that all such "gamblers" no longer have the opportunity to gamble. Rather than hoping for "turning over a new leaf," it is better to make evil have nowhere to hide.
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