Hong Kong labour authorities had warned the contractor working on Wang Fuk Court’s renovation about a fire hazard just a week before the housing estate in Tai Po was engulfed in the city’s worst blaze in decades, the Post has learned.
In the aftermath of the devastating blaze that has so far claimed 65 lives, some residents said the fire alarms did not go off while an engineer warned that the flats destroyed in the inferno might not be habitable again.
In a reply to the Post’s queries, the Labour Department said on Thursday it had inspected Wang Fuk Court 16 time since July last year, and as recently as November 20.
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The inspections included verifying whether the scaffolding nets met safety standards.
Less than a week ago, it reminded the contractor of the need to implement appropriate fire safety measures.
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The department said there were unsafe conditions for working at height, for which three warnings were issued.