In August 2008, a fire broke out in a nightclub in Mong Kok, killing four people.
Earlier this month, a canopy on a building in Tuen Mun collapsed, seriously injuring a man in the street below.
Now, another blaze, which ripped through a building in Ma Tau Wai, has left four people dead. Less than 18 months ago, a building nearby collapsed, also killing four people. What do these tragedies tell us?
They are timely reminders of our flawed approach to the management of old buildings. It is absurd and shameful to sacrifice precious lives - all because of unsafe buildings - in a world-class city such as Hong Kong.
The public's fears are mounting. If the government does not tackle the problem immediately, it is likely to lose people's confidence and its reputation will be tarnished.
We need a full-scale overhaul of all old, broken-down tenement blocks. Experts should check their structures and carry out renovations, if necessary.