Building safety in Hong Kong is responsibility of owners, John Lee warns while vowing to ‘strongly enforce’ checks for aged blocks
- Comments by chief executive come after city marks third case of falling debris from building in nine days
- He says government will repair risky structures before claiming costs from owners, as well as step up enforcement of inspections for blocks aged beyond 30 years
Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday stressed that building safety was the ultimate responsibility of owners while pledging to “strongly enforce” a mechanism requiring blocks beyond 30 years of age to be inspected.
Buildings exceeding 30 years of age would have to be inspected under the current mechanism, he noted, adding authorities would “strongly” enforce the policy.
He said there were several measures to help owners’ committees deal with costs, with the government also prioritising work on structures that had immediate risk or danger.
The city leader noted that the Development Bureau had informed the Buildings Department that authorities would directly carry out work needed on blocks with structural issues and recover costs from owners afterwards.
On Monday, police said concrete from the wall of 15-storey Fuk Keung Industrial Building fell and hit a car below, denting the vehicle’s roof.