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Non fire-retardant scaffolding nets ordered before Hong Kong blaze
A supplier told an independent committee it delivered protective nets but was unsure whether the subcontractor used fire-compliant materials at Wang Fuk Court.
A supplier for scaffolding protective nets has confirmed that non fire-retardant mesh was ordered before a deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court, which destroyed part of a fire-ravaged residential estate and became the city’s deadliest blaze in decades, according to documents released by an independent committee investigating the incident.
SCMP Economy reports that the committee’s counsel and expert witnesses previously pointed to the use of non-compliant scaffolding mesh as a key factor in how quickly the fire spread. Experts said that if fire-retardant materials had been used, the blaze might have self extinguished early, but instead flames spread along the substandard mesh, generating burning droplets that ignited other scaffolding sections and led to secondary fires.
The fire killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Lam Kee Construction Materials said in its submission to the committee that it received orders for protective nets from Gain Profit Shed Industry, the subcontractor responsible for erecting the scaffolding, but was unsure whether the nets were actually used at Wang Fuk Court.
The committee’s filings were released on Wednesday as part of its investigation into the causes of the November fire, Hong Kong’s deadliest incident in decades, SCMP Economy said.