Wang Fuk Court fire result of ‘systemic failure’ in policy, experts tell hearing
PolyU professors say local building regulations focus largely on interior blazes, while deadly estate fire started outside
An independent committee inquiry heard on Thursday that last year’s Wang Fuk Court fire was unprecedented in magnitude, with flames moving upwards along the buildings’ facades at more than 10 metres (32.8 feet) per second, which was “unprecedented in the history of major building fires”.
Polytechnic University building sciences professors Asif Usmani and Jiang Liming, both engaged by the committee to provide expert opinions, pointed out that local building regulations were largely designed to prevent interior fires, as external blazes such as the one at Wang Fuk Court were considered unlikely.
They said there were no effective firefighting strategies globally for fires that broke out on the outer walls of high-rise buildings.
“This is primarily a systemic failure and must be reviewed at the level of public policy, and appropriate changes must be made in how temporary works are regulated,” Usmani said.