"Wednesday's fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex broke out on the netting around the lower levels of one of the buildings before spreading to foam panels that quickly caught fire. Winds then blew the flames onto the other buildings, with seven out of eight buildings affected. It took until Friday for the fire to be fully extinguished."
"Tests on the netting had showed it to be up to code, but further tests from other parts of the building, especially in hard-to-reach areas, were found to be of substandard materials, failing the safety tests. Eric Chan, Hong Kong's Chief Secretary, blamed contractors for skimping on materials to make greater profits. "They just wanted to make money at the expense of people's lives," he told reporters."
A major fire began on scaffolding netting at Wang Fuk Court and rapidly spread to foam panels, with winds carrying flames to seven of eight buildings. The blaze persisted until Friday and has resulted in 151 recorded deaths, with more than 40 people still missing. Initial netting tests had shown compliance in some areas, but further testing in hard-to-reach sections found substandard materials that failed safety checks. Officials blamed contractors for using cheaper materials to increase profits. Residents had previously complained about the netting. Ongoing searches may take weeks and face difficult conditions.
Read at www.dw.com
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