2024-04-12 03:35:48
Fatal fire in Wah Fung Building｜Nearly 20% of the 9,500 buildings in Yau Tsim Mong District failed to comply with fire safety instructions｜Yahoo
[Yahoo News Report]A fatal fire in the Wah Fung Building in Jordan on Wednesday (10th) killed 5 people and injured 40 people. Seven people are still in critical condition. On the night of the incident, “Yahoo News” had obtained photos from the building owner of the old staircase full of debris. The Buildings Department also disclosed that night that the building corporation had received fire safety instructions as early as 2008, requiring the upgrade of fire prevention facilities in the building, such as However, 16 years have passed since then; “Yahoo News” further inquired with the Buildings Department and found that as of the end of last year, there were as many as 9,578 buildings in Hong Kong that had not complied with fire safety instructions, with Yau Tsim Mong District having the highest number. , there are 1,843 buildings, accounting for 19% of the total number.
District 4 accounts for more than half of Hong Kong’s figures
Among the 18 districts in Hong Kong, Yau Tsim Mong District, Sham Shui Po District, Central and Western District and Kowloon City District are the areas where the situation is more serious. There are 1,267 buildings in Sham Shui Po District that fail to comply with fire safety instructions, and 1,076 buildings in Central and Western District and Kowloon City District respectively. , and 1,020 buildings. The figures in the four districts accounted for 54% of the total.
As of the end of 2023, the distribution of buildings in Hong Kong that have not complied with the instructions is listed by district council district (data: Buildings Department)
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A warning letter has been issued to the corporation
Regarding the situation of Wah Fung Building, the Buildings Department stated that the Corporation notified the Department in April last year that it had appointed a registered inspector, who submitted a prescribed inspection report to the Buildings Department in May. The recommended repair works in the report also included instructions. Required fire safety improvement works. The Buildings Department said that it will continue to closely follow up with the corporation and the consulting company on the required building fire safety improvement works, and has issued a warning letter to the corporation, urging it to start the improvement work as soon as possible, and will consider prosecution if necessary .
The Buildings Department said that if the owner fails to comply with the instructions without reasonable explanation, the Buildings Department will take enforcement actions in accordance with the Ordinance based on the actual situation of the case, including issuing warning letters and prosecuting the defaulting owner. According to the provisions of the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (hereinafter referred to as the Ordinance), any person who fails to comply with a statutory instruction without reasonable excuse commits an offense and is liable to a fine at level 4 of $25,000. An additional fine of $2,500 is imposed for each day of compliance.
In addition, the government is proposing to amend the Ordinance to empower the enforcement authorities to carry out fire safety improvement works on behalf of owners of old target buildings who fail to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance and recover the relevant costs after completion. The government briefed the Legislative Council Panel on Security on December 5 last year on the proposed amendments to the Ordinance and the agency works mechanism. The authorities are stepping up work on drafting the amendment bill and aim to submit it to the Legislative Council for review this year.
The back stairs of Huafeng are blocked by debris
On the day of the incident, “Yahoo News” contacted an owner who did not want to be named and was familiar with the operation of Wah Fung Building Corporation, and obtained photos of the interior of the building that he had taken in the past. It was discovered that a large number of large furniture and furniture were accumulated in common areas such as corridors and stairs. Garbage, including mattresses and large cabinets, often blocks fire escapes and becomes a fire safety hazard. This owner described the building management as poor. He had received a mandatory building inspection order a few years ago, but the corporation has been dragging its feet and has yet to hire a consultant to inspect the building. However, steel bars have been blasted in many places. He said it will not be dealt with any more, ” Sooner or later, I’ll hit the building!”
This photo taken in recent years shows that the back stairs of the building are blocked by garbage. (Photo courtesy of interviewee)
Someone left a mattress in the stairwell. (Photo provided by interviewee)
Refrigerators, large bookcases, etc. were once placed in the stairwell. (Photo provided by interviewee)
There is often clutter in stairwells. (Photo provided by interviewee)
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