After the tragic fire at Hong Fook Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, evidence has emerged showing that one of the main culprits—the scaffolding net—was involved in fraudulent practices during fire retardancy testing. The Hong Kong government has now ordered the removal of all scaffolding nets at construction and repair sites in the city.
According to Central News Agency, Secretary for Security Chris Tang and Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn announced the decision on the night of the 3rd.
Bernadette Linn said: “We truly suspect document forgery has occurred. For the sake of public safety and to put the minds of building owners and residents at ease, the government believes we need to act rigorously. Therefore, I now announce that all buildings currently undergoing major repairs, including all public, private, and government buildings with external scaffolding nets, must immediately have their scaffolding nets removed.”
Linn stated that all scaffolding nets must be removed within the next three working days, by December 6. If there are individual circumstances where this cannot be achieved, the relevant authorities must be notified in advance, which will review if there is a reasonable ground for allowance.
Linn estimated that there are currently more than 200 residential buildings under repair with scaffolding nets and about a dozen public buildings.
According to the announcement, the Buildings Department will aim to issue a new code of practice next week, requiring that scaffolding nets be sampled and tested at designated centers upon delivery to construction sites, and can only be used once they pass the test.
At the same time, Chris Tang stated that authorities suspect the use of false documents concerning scaffolding nets during estate repairs, and police are investigating two cases.
Tang said that the case has been handed over to the Serious Crime Squad for follow-up investigation, and more similar cases are expected to be investigated; the authorities will deal with this seriously and pursue accountability to the fullest extent.
On November 26, a fire broke out at Hong Fook Court, resulting in 159 deaths and 31 people missing to date.
The fire occurred while maintenance work was ongoing at the estate, with all eight buildings covered in bamboo scaffolding and nets, and all apartment windows sealed with foam boards.
The fire spread rapidly, affecting six other buildings after starting in one block. Both the police and fire department found the speed of the spread unusual, leading many to suspect that the scaffolding nets and foam boards were the main culprits.