Blast-scarred district in Tianjin takes ‘profound lessons’ from deadly Hong Kong blaze
‘Seven strict’ noes and ‘six musts’ listed in fire safety push by Binhai New Area district, where chemical blasts took 173 lives in 2015
The drive by the Binhai New Area district comes days after a catastrophic high-rise blaze in Hong Kong claimed more than 120 lives.
District officials attending a fire safety meeting on Saturday were shown footage and a preliminary report from the blaze in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, which took firefighters more than 40 hours to bring under control.
Over 1,000 queue to pay respects to Tai Po fire victims
At least 146 people, including a firefighter, have been confirmed dead. Another 79 people were injured, and 150 others are still unaccounted for.
Flammable construction materials and malfunctioning alarm systems are believed to have been major factors in driving up the toll.
The Hong Kong government has launched criminal investigations to determine the cause of the blaze, with eight individuals arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. They include consultants, scaffolding subcontractors and a middleman for the renovation project.