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Author(s): Koh Ewe Kelly Ng

'This was preventable': Anger and unanswered questions after Hong Kong fire

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[...]

Questions are mounting as to how the fire at Wang Fuk Court spread so rapidly and who is responsible, with many calling it a "man-made disaster".

Three people in charge of renovating the blocks are under arrest for manslaughter, and authorities have launched a corruption inquiry.

[...]

Several residents have revealed in interviews that the fire alarm did not sound when the fire broke out. Authorities said on Friday that they had checked the fire alarms in all eight blocks and found that they were not working properly.

Kiko Ma, who owns an apartment at Wang Fuk Court, says the alarms had been turned off amid renovation works, as construction workers regularly used fire escapes to get in and out of the building.

[...]

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Country and region Hong Kong (China)

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