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| At least 156 people have died from the fire. Credit Getty Images |
I have just returned from a two-week trip to Hong Kong and China, and like everyone else, am devastated by the Tai Po inferno that killed at least 156 people. As the authorities comb through the wreckage of the seven buildings, the number of dead will only continue to rise.
In the afternoon of November 26, my relatives and I had finished lunch in Macau, and then went to the Hengqin border where we were driven to Zhongshan to see my uncle's apartment.
Periodically I began getting news updates about a fire in Tai Po and it became very shocking when I started seeing the video footage of the flames engulfing the mesh that covered the bamboo scaffolding.
As the number of casualties began to rise I wondered what was going on. Did residents think fires didn't happen in concrete buildings?
Later it was revealed the buildings were undergoing an extensive renovation of the exterior, costing around HK$160,000 (US$20,546) per flat. Their windows were sealed with styrofoam material to prevent debris from damaging the glass, and much of the green mesh covering the scaffolding were not fire-resistant.
Stories subsequently came out from survivors who told of being completely unaware their building was on fire until their loved ones called them. Even the firefighters could not reach them because the scaffolding was in the way and the fire temperature was so hot.
There were reports the government wanted to phase out bamboo scaffolding in favour of metal -- this was quickly dismissed by passionate Hongkongers who made videos trying to set bamboo sticks alight, or explaining to people outside of the city that bamboo is a building material that has been used for over 100 years.
After having experienced a relatively small fire in my neighbourhood in August last year, when a six-storey wood-construction condo building was on fire. The cause is still unknown. The two fire chiefs at the scene recently told us residents that the fire was so hot, they didn't even imagine that the construction crane would melt and collapse the way it did.
So to say that metal would be safer is very hard to say; it would probably make the fire even hotter.
It took over two days for firefighters to have the flames of the Tai Po fire under control.
Meanwhile grassroots groups saw the news and began coming together with water, blankets and food for the affected residents and firefighters. They just setup near the area and gave victims whatever they needed. It was so heartening to see them rally behind these residents who have lost their homes, or worse their loved ones. Some lost their pets, unable to get inside, as firefighters and police stopped them because it was so dangerous with the falling debris and the heat.
But after extensive media coverage of how these NGOs and local groups had mobilised so quickly, donating clothes, food, water, even their electric cars for people to charge their phones, the Hong Kong government cleared everyone out; perhaps the scenes are too reminiscent of what happened over six years ago, or even 11 years ago, when protesters were on the streets...
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged a judge will lead a committee to investigate the cause of the fire; perhaps his administration, particularly the Labour Department should have listened to residents' concerns about the green mesh not being fire resistant and witnessing the construction workers smoking on site. While warnings were issued by the Labour Department, it seems punishment was not enforced.
Some survivors have raged about being forced to pay HK$160,000 in renovation fees, only to have their homes go up in smoke.
As a friend said to me, governments are not prepared for disasters, but it is how they deal with them is what matters.
Two days ago actor Chow Yun-fat opened the MAMA Awards by speaking in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, asking the audience to stand up for a moment of silence to pay tribute to the victims of the Tai Po fire. He was genuinely upset and felt this was an important gesture for Hong Kong.
The government declared three days of mourning from Friday to Sunday. Thousands of mourners descended on Tai Po, creating a 2km line, patiently waiting to walk closer to the makeshift alter near the fire-ravaged buildings where they left flowers, handwritten notes and toys.
Hongkongers will never forget this horrific tragedy, nor will they stop finding out who should be accountable.
A mainlander, Jiang Yaling, who writes the Follow the Yuan on Substack, commented how the Hong Kong authorities deal with victims very differently from in China. Typically if a disaster happens, the victims and families are immediately shuffled into hotel rooms and forbidden from speaking to the media; she was very surprised to see how Hongkongers were able to speak freely with emotion...
For now a lot of fundraising has been done, over HK$1.3 billion raised. But where exactly will all this aid go? Will victims get the money directly? Or will it be given to charity groups? Where are people going to live now? They can't live in hotel rooms for weeks on end. And what kind of compensation will they get?
All eyes are on the Hong Kong authorities. Will they step up and serve the people as they have promised?
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