8 More Arrested Following Deadly Hong Kong Apartment Fire

TaiwanPlus News

Eight more people have been arrested in connection to a devastating apartment complex fire in Hong Kong. Well ​over a hundred people have ​b​een killed and at least 200 more are missing.

Transcript

00:00Hong Kong mourns as the death toll from a disastrous apartment complex fire continues to rise.

00:08Well over 100 people have been killed, and at least 200 more are missing.

00:13Flags are lowered to half-mast.

00:16Flower tributes are left near the scene.

00:18Officials bow their heads for a moment of silence.

00:22Residents say they've lost everything.

00:25This is my home.

00:27Look over there, the 10th floor.

00:28That's where my home was.

00:30By the hills, that's where my home used to be.

00:33I really want to go back home, but my home is probably gone now.

00:36They won't let us go back, so when I look in that direction, my heart feels so heavy.

00:42Now, attention is turning to the cause, and who or what is responsible.

00:48The apartment complex had been undergoing renovations when the fire broke out,

00:52and investigators appear to be focused on the quality of construction materials used for that project,

00:57like the green netting and bamboo scaffolding covering the buildings and flammable foam panels installed on many windows.

01:05Hong Kong officials say those materials likely contributed to how quickly the fire spread,

01:11burning through the complex within hours.

01:13We believe the fire started on the protective netting installed outside the lower floors.

01:21It then quickly spread upwards after igniting the polystyrene installation panels reaching several floors.

01:28Within a short time, the fire had spread to six other buildings in Wangfuk Court.

01:33Officials appear to suspect wrongdoing.

01:37Earlier this week, Hong Kong police arrested three people working for the company that was running the renovation project,

01:44accusing them of manslaughter and gross negligence.

01:47Then, an anti-corruption agency arrested eight more people,

01:51including an engineering consultant and several scaffolding subcontractors.

01:55Some are also questioning the government's responsibility, accusing them of missing clear warning signs.

02:02The New York Times reported that the residents had been raising concerns about the safety of renovation materials for over a year.

02:09Residents told the city's labor department that the green netting could be flammable,

02:13and also complained about the foam panels.

02:16In a statement to the Times, the department said it had inspected the site several times before the fire,

02:21and had indeed found violations.

02:23But it still claims to have found no issues with the netting.

02:28Even with all of this, the exact cause of the fire is still unclear.

02:32But as investigations continue, and reporters start digging into the issue,

02:37more is likely to come to light very soon,

02:39giving a clearer picture of who may be responsible.

02:43Justin Wu and Cainz-Koranta for Taiwan Plus.

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