Hong Kong fire: Unsafe contractor given 'clean record' before blaze that killed 159 - report

Homeowners astatine the Hong Kong analyzable destroyed successful 1 of the city’s deadliest fires were wrongly told that the contractor present blamed for the calamity had a cleanable information record. Documents seen by Reuters amusement that Will Power Architects, hired to measure renovation bids, assured residents that Prestige Construction & Engineering had nary Labour Department prosecutions. But labour section records amusement Prestige had been penalised much than a twelve times betwixt 2016 and 2019 for unsafe scaffolding and faulty electrical work. The institution inactive won the HK$330 cardinal renovation declaration aft Will Power gave its bid 1 of the highest grades.

Both companies are present nether manslaughter and corruption investigations aft the 26 November occurrence astatine Wang Fuk Court, which has killed astatine slightest 159 people. Authorities accidental Prestige utilized substandard mesh connected the scaffolding and flammable foam boards astir windows. The labour section had earlier told residents that the mesh was certified arsenic safe. Wang Fuk Court, built successful the 1980s, is location to astir 2,000 tiny flats owned chiefly by elder citizens and blue-collar families. Renovation problems surfaced early. Records amusement Prestige had antecedently been fined HK$309,000 for 15 information violations, portion the buildings section had besides penalised the steadfast successful older cases.

As costs roseate and information worries mounted, residents tried to region Prestige, starring to a tense gathering successful September 2024 wherever a caller homeowners’ committee was elected. Many residents, including operation workers, monitored the tract themselves. One homeowner adjacent removed the flammable foam boards from his windows, but aboriginal told Reuters his efforts could not halt what happened.