https://www.scmp.com/rss/322852/feed On June 21, 2016, a fourth-alarm fire swept through an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok in Kowloon. It burned over a four-day period, claiming the lives of two firemen. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Last year, Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department, the most popular of the disciplinary forces in the city, marked its 150th anniversary. According to the latest biannual University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme survey, firefighters scored a satisfaction rate of 82.9 per cent, topping other local agencies seven years in a row. The police force, on the other hand, was second-last and beat only the People’s Liberation Army garrison by less than 5 percentage points. When the department’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3002525/why-are-hong-kongs-firefighters-so-celebrated-hellish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3002525/why-are-hong-kongs-firefighters-so-celebrated-hellish?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Mar 2019 03:00:11 +0000 After a deadly blaze ripped through a mini-storage facility in Ngau Tau Kok in June 2016, one provider has implemented stringent fire safety measures at its units in a bid to restore customers’ faith in the industry.  According to Simon Tyrrell, chief executive of RedBox Storage, the company has been trialling new, regulator-approved innovations in fireproofing at its storage facilities in Sha Tin and Chai Wan, which he hopes can eventually be rolled out at other suppliers across the city. Among... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2146094/hong-kong-mini-storage-provider-redbox-fireproofs-its-facilities-comply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2146094/hong-kong-mini-storage-provider-redbox-fireproofs-its-facilities-comply?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 May 2018 00:04:28 +0000 A group of young artists in Hong Kong hope to mix dining and art as they reopen a restaurant across Victoria Harbour after a year-long hiatus. Syut, which started in an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok four years ago, was known for its industrial-themed interiors and delicately displayed food. Small businesses and arts groups flee from high rents … only to end up in potential death traps in Hong Kong In June 2016, a fire broke out at a storage facility inside the Amoycan Industrial Centre –... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2140213/owners-hope-mix-art-and-dining-syut-restaurant-rises-ashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2140213/owners-hope-mix-art-and-dining-syut-restaurant-rises-ashes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:32:35 +0000 Dance troupe Y-Space receives government funding but more than anything, it dreads a knock from officialdom on its studio doors. Whenever it is told of a pending visit, the dancers scramble into a madcap routine and all the leaping and flying their ballet training gave them are put to pull off a ruse. The dance floor and the bright-lit studio would be transformed into a plain workshop with desks and sewing machines. The two co-founders would even corral friends into acting as workers, sitting at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107689/small-businesses-and-arts-groups-flee-high-rents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2107689/small-businesses-and-arts-groups-flee-high-rents?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2017 01:00:45 +0000 Operators of mini-storage facilities have acted on fewer than 5 per cent of some 4,900 fire hazard abatement notices issued by the Fire Services Department. This comes as city-wide inspections initiated after a fatal fire last June are coming to an end. The fire in a Ngau Tau Kok indstrial building housing mini-storage facilities left two firefighters dead. A total of 764 mini-storage facilities, accounting for 86 per cent of the total, were given notices. Yet only three facilities had rectified... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2098550/hong-kong-mini-storage-operators-act-fewer-5pc-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2098550/hong-kong-mini-storage-operators-act-fewer-5pc-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:45:00 +0000 The restrictions on use of industrial buildings in Hong Kong is threatening the survival of premises such as restaurants, gyms, artisan shops, art galleries, learning centres and performance venues. Due to space constraints and soaring rents, many businesses have moved into old high-rise blocks built for industrial use. While their operations may breach land lease conditions or safety rules, they are testimony of adaptation and innovation. As long as they do no pose severe threats to public... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2098376/be-more-flexible-use-industrial-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2098376/be-more-flexible-use-industrial-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jun 2017 19:34:33 +0000 Out of 2,548 fire hazard notices issued by authorities to mini-storage operators till February, only 117 – less than 5 per cent – were complied with, according to a Legislative Council finance committee paper. The revelation came about nine months after a fourth-alarm fire swept through an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon, burning over a four-day period and claiming the lives of two firemen. The blaze called into question the safety of the city’s factory blocks, prompting a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2083374/only-5-cent-fire-hazard-notices-issued-hong-kong-mini?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2083374/only-5-cent-fire-hazard-notices-issued-hong-kong-mini?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2017 01:30:00 +0000 For every month, two people were killed by fire in Hong Kong last year, and statistics show the numbers of deaths and injuries have not been falling. Two of the lives lost were firefighters tackling the June blaze in a Ngau Tau Kok industrial building, which started in a mini storage unit. Given the statistics, some observers fear the recent announcement of stricter control of mini storage outlets amounts to little more than “fiddling while Rome burns”. “The tragic double fatality last year was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2069465/hong-kongs-fire-safety-figures-set-alarm-bells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2069465/hong-kongs-fire-safety-figures-set-alarm-bells?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2017 22:01:11 +0000 Mini-storage operators warn that customers could bear the cost of an industry shake-up, as an impending regulatory clampdown by authorities coupled with escalating property prices pose challenges to the industry. After a 108-hour inferno at an industrial building housing mini-storage facilities took the lives of two firemen last June, the Fire Services Department sought to strictly enforce international standards on fire safety. The government is also considering tabling legislation to set up a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2068220/customers-set-bear-cost-upgrading-hong-kong-mini?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2068220/customers-set-bear-cost-upgrading-hong-kong-mini?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:00:15 +0000 The city’s fire safety authorities plan to introduce stricter regulations for mini-storage outlets, following an inferno that claimed the lives of two firemen last June. Revealing the plan yesterday, the Fire Services Department chief Daryl Li Kin-yat said he hoped the bill would be tabled in the Legislative Council by April and implemented by the end of the year. Li told the Post the proposed measures could help the authority understand the number of mini-storage facilities operating in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2064718/fire-safety-authorities-plan-tougher-regulations-storage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2064718/fire-safety-authorities-plan-tougher-regulations-storage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jan 2017 14:45:45 +0000 The city’s fire safety authorities said they were open to “considering alternatives” to certain requirements imposed on mini-storage outlets after operators criticised some of the rules for being too harsh. The Fire Services Department (FSD) confirmed with the Post that it would consider such proposals but stressed that commercial considerations could not override public safety. The alternative solutions, which have yet to be agreed on by both parties, must meet fire safety standards, such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2062716/fire-safety-authorities-open-alternative-solutions-mini?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2062716/fire-safety-authorities-open-alternative-solutions-mini?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jan 2017 03:43:20 +0000 A third of the 756 mini-storage outlets checked in a citywide inspection failed to meet fire safety regulations, six months after an inferno at a storage facility claimed the lives of two firemen. But operators criticised the crackdown and said the strict enforcement would mean steeper costs for customers. The storage business has boomed in recent years as people seek ways to combat limited living space amid spiralling property prices. Summing up the inspection results on Thursday, the Fire... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2057995/six-months-after-fatal-fire-third-mini-storage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2057995/six-months-after-fatal-fire-third-mini-storage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Dec 2016 14:38:10 +0000 Three firefighters who will be awarded top honours on Saturday for their bravery have described how they battled flames, smoke and zero visibility to rescue two trapped siblings. The men were tackling the blaze at the Cheong Fat Industrial Building in Cheung Sha Wan when they heard shouts from one of the subdivided flats. “I didn’t even realise my breathing apparatus was whistling. I just wanted to bring the young man down the stairs and escape. After all, saving lives is my duty,” Chow... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2041055/heroic-hong-kong-firemen-relive-perilous-rescue-teenage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2041055/heroic-hong-kong-firemen-relive-perilous-rescue-teenage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:30:15 +0000 A dilapidated and stuffy 200-square-foot rooftop slum is not the best environment for a family of four, but for Tsui, his wife and two daughters that is a luxury they might lose by the end of the year if the government does not treat them leniently in its drive to get rid of illegal homes in industrial buildings. Tsui is one of around 30 tenants who will be affected by a deadline to move out of the flimsy shacks built with metal sheets on the rooftop of an industrial building in Kwun... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2039391/hong-kong-family-four-may-be-forced-street-if-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2039391/hong-kong-family-four-may-be-forced-street-if-they?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2016 13:00:56 +0000 A total of 29 firefighters have been awarded top honours for their efforts in battling two separate major industrial building fires over the summer, one of which took the lives of a pair of their colleagues. Fireman Wan Kin-wai will be awarded the Silver Medal for Bravery for his “act of gallantry of an extremely high order displayed” during firefighting and rescue operations at the deadly Amoycan Industrial Centre blaze in Ngau Tau Kok. This comes two months after firefighters Thomas Cheung and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2019622/hong-kong-honours-29-firefighters-bravery-battling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2019622/hong-kong-honours-29-firefighters-bravery-battling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2016 04:29:33 +0000 At least 20 businesses operating in industrial buildings against land lease terms remained open, ­despite a deadline yesterday for the breaches to be rectified in a government crackdown to ­enhance fire safety. The Lands Department began taking enforcement action yesterday against units at 11 industrial buildings which are violating land lease conditions. Out of 73 cases, 19 have ceased operation while another 34 required further investigation. Among the businesses which are still running is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2010597/shape-fire-safety-or-ship-out-crackdown-tenants-six?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2010597/shape-fire-safety-or-ship-out-crackdown-tenants-six?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2016 04:59:33 +0000 A government crackdown after a deadly industrial building fire has prompted the apparent closure of around a dozen businesses ahead of a deadline to fix safety breaches, while those still in operation are ­trying to keep a low profile. The deaths of two firemen who battled a mini-storage blaze in June called into question the safety of the city’s factory blocks, which have seen a growing number of establishments engage in non-industrial activities that often are unlicensed or fail to meet fire... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2000079/business-usual-hong-kong-crackdown-unauthorised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2000079/business-usual-hong-kong-crackdown-unauthorised?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Aug 2016 10:28:16 +0000 The peak body for self-storage providers in Asia has issued a stern reminder of prohibited activities to operators and users in an effort to avoid a repeat of the deadly Ngau Tau Kok blaze. Self Storage Association Asia (SSAA) circulated posters to its members yesterday listing banned activities such as sleeping, cooking, pet keeping, the storage of flammable items, batteries and other dangerous goods. Luigi La Tona, executive director at the association, said the posters were released as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1998293/deadly-ngau-tau-kok-blaze-prompts-peak-body-safety-reminder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1998293/deadly-ngau-tau-kok-blaze-prompts-peak-body-safety-reminder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:39:40 +0000 A saleswoman has become the first person to be arrested at a mini-storage facility for allegedly violating the city’s trade descriptions laws. Customs and Excise Department officials raided the offices of Redbox Storage at Shing Wan Road, Sha Tin, on Tuesday after investigating a number of complaints from customers. Sources with knowledge of the case said the woman was arrested after exaggerating the size of a mini-storage cubicle to an undercover officer. Mini-storage fire at Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1995066/woman-arrested-first-hong-kong-mini-storage-company?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1995066/woman-arrested-first-hong-kong-mini-storage-company?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jul 2016 10:26:48 +0000 Tributes poured in from across the city on Friday as a senior fireman who died fighting one of Hong Kong’s longest-burning fires ever was laid to rest, with full honours. Dressed in dark clothes, top government officials and the city’s leaders congregated at ­Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom to pay their last respects to Samuel Hui Chi-kit, the second fireman to die in the huge blaze in Ngau Tau Kok last month. About 30 members of the ­public gathered at the funeral ­parlour’s entrance. One... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1993173/hong-kong-bids-solemn-farewell-second-brave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1993173/hong-kong-bids-solemn-farewell-second-brave?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jul 2016 03:31:43 +0000 The widow of senior firefighter Samuel Hui Chi-kit, who died when battling a fire in Ngau Tau Kok last month, broke her silence on Sunday and described her husband as the pride of Hong Kong. “Life is not about its length but its value,” Ng On-yee wrote on Sunday in an article in Merit Times, a Taiwan-based publication catering to Buddhists. “Chi-kit, you absolutely are Hong Kong’s pride and our glory.” It was the first time Ng publicly stated her feelings about her husband’s death. Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1991233/widow-ngau-tau-kok-firefighter-samuel-hui-chi-kit-praises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1991233/widow-ngau-tau-kok-firefighter-samuel-hui-chi-kit-praises?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jul 2016 04:30:06 +0000 On a sweltering Sunday, the city said its last goodbyes to senior fire officer Thomas Cheung, who died battling the Ngau Tau Kok industrial building blaze last month. Bagpipes played funereal tunes as six of Cheung’s colleagues carried his coffin to Gallant Garden at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery for a burial fit for a hero. Donations and tributes pour in for Hong Kong firefighter who died in Ngau Tau Kok blaze Cheung’s widow led the crowd in laying flowers on the coffin. Their four-month-old son was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1990910/hong-kong-says-final-farewell-heroic-firefighter-killed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1990910/hong-kong-says-final-farewell-heroic-firefighter-killed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000 Just when a citywide inspection of storage houses was launched in the wake of the deadly Ngau Tau Kok blaze, another fire broke out in a Cheung Sha Wan industrial building last week. Apart from storage facilities with poor fire safety standards, the building was also found to have subdivided living space. Thankfully, the blaze did not cause serious injuries this time. But it underlines the fire hazards of hundreds of old industrial blocks in the city. The enforcement action announced by the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1990705/more-must-be-done-prevent-further-fire-tragedies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1990705/more-must-be-done-prevent-further-fire-tragedies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2016 16:17:30 +0000 Officials will start cracking down on illegal activities in industrial buildings next month and take back properties if breaches are not rectified within two weeks. Six industrial blocks, in which unauthorised learning centres and entertainment premises were found, were named and would be targeted in the first phrase of the action starting on August 29. Nervous Hong Kong landlords move on fire safety following killer fire The crackdown was announced by development minister Paul Chan Mo-po on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1990306/hong-kong-officials-start-crackdown-unauthorised-premises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1990306/hong-kong-officials-start-crackdown-unauthorised-premises?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jul 2016 13:30:30 +0000 While the adage may be that there is no such thing as bad publicity, recent events in Hong Kong have shown that the way companies, institutions and individuals respond to public relations crises can lead to very different results. Whilst some have adopted a proactive approach to potentially brand-damaging events by keeping their audience informed with timely updates on social media, others have sought to contain an embarrassing blunder by making limited comment. City University found itself in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1990116/hong-kongs-pr-crises-how-brands-can-save-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1990116/hong-kongs-pr-crises-how-brands-can-save-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jul 2016 05:47:25 +0000 Families of the two firemen who died fighting the Ngau Tau Kok inferno last month have received up to HK$4.86 million in financial aid from the government. Senior station officer Thomas Cheung and senior fireman Samuel Hui Chi-kit were killed while battling the fire at Amoycan Industrial Building, which broke out on June 21 and raged for 108 hours. The government on Thursday granted HK$4.86 million to Cheung’s family and HK$4.5 million to Hui’s in recognition of the men’s courage. Secretary for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1989829/families-hong-kong-firemen-who-died-fighting-inferno-get?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1989829/families-hong-kong-firemen-who-died-fighting-inferno-get?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2016 11:26:26 +0000 The development chief has pledged to empower officials to step up ­inspections of industrial buildings, and is considering imposing tougher penalties on landlords hosting illegal residential cubicles. The new measures come after three units in a five-decade-old industrial block in Cheung Sha Wan caught fire last week in which units were found to have been illegally divided for residential use. During a question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, lawmakers asked if... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1989515/hong-kongs-development-chief-pledges-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1989515/hong-kongs-development-chief-pledges-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:03:13 +0000 Leading landlords, still on edge after the deadly Ngau Tau Kok industrial building fire last month, are taking steps to mitigate similar risks ahead of any new regulations from the government. Their concerns come as citywide fire safety inspections prompted by the 108-hour blaze, which left two firemen dead and several injured, found many mini-storage facilities were flouting fire safety rules. A total of 500 mini-storage premises across the city are being probed over safety standards. The 150... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1988120/nervous-hong-kong-landlords-move-fire-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1988120/nervous-hong-kong-landlords-move-fire-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jul 2016 15:45:00 +0000 Two to three units in a Cheung Sha Wan industrial block that caught fire are thought to have been used illegally for housing, prompting the government to launch an investigation. Two teenage siblings were trapped in one of the homes on the eighth floor of Cheong Fat Factory Building at 265-271 Un Chau Street when the third alarm fire broke out in a warehouse next door at about 11.30pm on Thursday. Teenage siblings ‘living in cubicles’ rescued from second Hong Kong industrial building fire in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1987303/hong-kong-government-probe-reports-people-were-living?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1987303/hong-kong-government-probe-reports-people-were-living?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jul 2016 13:26:26 +0000 Mini-storage facilities are becoming all the rage in Hong Kong as residents continue to seek space in an increasingly cramped city. With soaring rental prices and the introduction of government policies encouraging the use of old industrial buildings, businesses for storage facilities have seen a lot of growth in recent years. Safety standards for such facilities are also in the spotlight after a storage space in a Ngau Tau Kok industrial building caught fire last month, claiming the lives of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1987242/boom-popularity-storage-facilities-cramped-hongkongers-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1987242/boom-popularity-storage-facilities-cramped-hongkongers-use?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jul 2016 09:53:28 +0000 A city-wide fire safety inspection prompted by the killer blaze at an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok last month has found many mini-storage facilities flouting safety rules. The Fire Services Department reported progress in the safety drive after another blaze broke out on Thursday night in an industrial building housing mini-storage units, sending three people to hospital. Two were siblings living in a cubicle. There were at least two storage facilities breaching fire safety regulations in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1987158/hong-kong-government-unearths-safety-violations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1987158/hong-kong-government-unearths-safety-violations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jul 2016 07:30:30 +0000 A brother and sister hurt in a fire at an industrial building in Cheung Sha Wan were living in one of the building’s cubicles, their father revealed, as firefighters largely put out the blaze nearly nine hours after it started Thursday. Firefighters confirmed at least two units were suspected to have been illegally used as residences in the 53-year-old industrial block housing mini-storage facilities, one of which was located on the same floor as the fire scene. Hong Kong government inspects... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1986938/teenage-siblings-living-cubicles-rescued-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1986938/teenage-siblings-living-cubicles-rescued-second?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jul 2016 19:45:15 +0000 The Hong Kong government rejected calls for an independent inquiry into the deadly Ngau Tau Kok fire, saying the existing investigation panel, led by the fire services authority, was professional and impartial enough. Confirmation of that came during a joint meeting of the security and development panels in the Legislative Council on Tuesday afternoon, to discuss the deadly inferno and the follow-up. The blaze began when fire broke out in a storage facility in the Amoycan Industrial Centre on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1985754/hong-kong-government-rejects-need-independent-inquiry-ngau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1985754/hong-kong-government-rejects-need-independent-inquiry-ngau?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jul 2016 11:41:42 +0000 There are a handful of words that Hong Kong should use sparingly to protect their significance. Condemn is as strong as it gets when it comes to criticism; it should be applied only to the most reprehensible behaviour. Certain people with non-mainstream ideas are sometimes referred to as being “radical” or “extremist”, an oddity given that we are so proud of our freedom of expression. Then there is “hero”. We’ve heard “hero” a lot in the past few weeks to describe the firefighters who tackled... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1985063/hong-kong-firefighters-who-died-ngau-tau-kok-blaze-were?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1985063/hong-kong-firefighters-who-died-ngau-tau-kok-blaze-were?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jul 2016 05:17:13 +0000 Hong Kong is still coming to terms with the deadly inferno in Ngau Tau Kok. The 108-hour fire was one of the longest-running in the city’s history and killed two firefighters – Thomas Cheung, 30, and Samuel Hui Chi-kit, 37. The events which began when the fire broke out last Tuesday in a storage facility in the Amoycan Industrial Centre, have taken a visible emotional toll on Hong Kong Fire Services Department Staffs General Association chairman Jerry Nip Yuen-fung. In an interview with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1984140/ashes-hong-kong-firefighters-rep-speaks-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1984140/ashes-hong-kong-firefighters-rep-speaks-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jul 2016 02:02:25 +0000 Hong Kong’s top official paid tribute on Friday to two firemen who died fighting an inferno in an industrial building last week and described the fire as “a heavy lesson in fire safety”. In his speech commemorating the 19th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying also recounted the administration’s successes in tackling the city’s housing shortage and vowed to continue focusing on economic development in the coming year. Everything you need to know about Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1984153/hong-kong-chief-executive-lauds-bravery-two-firemen-who-died?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1984153/hong-kong-chief-executive-lauds-bravery-two-firemen-who-died?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2016 12:59:26 +0000 This was the Post’s real-time coverage of the July 1 march. 7.17pm: Organiser announces turnout Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, announced that 110,000 people attended today. He thanked Hongkongers for attending the protest despite the hot weather. He also urged protesters to continue to pay attention to the case of bookseller Lam Wing-kee to ensure his safety. Police, however, estimated turnout was only 19,300 at its peak – down from the 19,650 participants the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1984006/july-1-march-organiser-claims-turnout-110000-far-above?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1984006/july-1-march-organiser-claims-turnout-110000-far-above?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2016 07:15:00 +0000 In his speech commemorating the 19th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from the British back to China, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying paid tribute to the two firemen who died fighting an industrial building inferno that blazed for more than four days. During his roughly seven-minute address at the reception after the annual flag-raising ceremony on Friday morning, Leung also recounted the administration’s successes in keeping inflation at bay and unemployment down, as well as being able to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1983898/deepest-grief-cy-leung-pays-tribute-two-dead-firemen-july-1?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1983898/deepest-grief-cy-leung-pays-tribute-two-dead-firemen-july-1?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2016 03:15:15 +0000 One of my first jobs as a reporter was to cover a third-alarm fire in North Point. Dozens of residents were being rushed out in a panic while fierce flames were shooting out of windows and doors. Several teams of firemen in gas masks moved in. The blaze was under control shortly thereafter. No one was seriously hurt. It wasn’t big news but it was an eye-opening experience for me. We always knew firefighters were brave but it’s something else to see them in action. We hacks in journalism schools... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1983727/shame-it-takes-tragedy-realise-our-sense-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1983727/shame-it-takes-tragedy-realise-our-sense-community?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:08:28 +0000 When I moved into the precious little pigeon hole that passes for my high-rise apartment in Hong Kong, the lack of space forced me to have it painstakingly redesigned in minimalist fashion. It can get tricky when you’re aiming for a clutter-free look, with only 600 square feet of living space to fit more than two decades’ worth of existence in this city. Did I say 600? More like 500, actually, because the purported extra 100 sq ft that I paid through my nose for was “gross floor area” calculated... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1983640/brave-firemens-deaths-industrial-building-blaze-consequence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1983640/brave-firemens-deaths-industrial-building-blaze-consequence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2016 09:45:30 +0000 A leader of a localist group planning to protest outside Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong after the July 1 rally is claiming police rejected further communications while the force asserts they could not reach the protest’s organisers. Baggio Leung Chun-hung, convenor of Youngspiration, one of the groups organising the protest to be held Friday, said he had been communicating with police via WhatsApp. Hong Kong police to deploy 2,000 officers amid jitters over ‘black mask’ rally outside... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1983478/hong-kong-localists-claim-police-halted-communications-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1983478/hong-kong-localists-claim-police-halted-communications-them?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2016 04:15:47 +0000 Sparks from an air conditioner due to an electrical fault are thought to have ignited goods inside a mini-storage cubicle and set off the 108-hour inferno in Ngau Tau Kok that killed two firemen, the Post has learned. An investigation has indicated a third-floor air conditioner fitted to the ceiling of a passageway near the heart of the 2,400 square metre facility at Amoycan Industrial Centre may have been at fault, sources said. “Initial investigation indicated sparks drifted into one of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1983127/sparks-air-conditioning-unit-falling-through-wire-fence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1983127/sparks-air-conditioning-unit-falling-through-wire-fence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2016 08:25:41 +0000 A citywide safety inspection of almost 500 mini-storage outlets kicked off on Tuesday in the aftermath of a deadly fire which took the lives of two firefighters. A senior fire chief pledged to complete the task within two months, with priority given to more than 150 outlets without automatic sprinkler systems. Around 20 officers from the Fire Services, Buildings, Lands and Labour departments arrived at a mini-storage warehouse in Tai Kok Tsui on Tuesday afternoon. Electrical leakage may have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1982673/hong-kong-officials-kick-inspection-mini-storage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1982673/hong-kong-officials-kick-inspection-mini-storage?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2016 10:58:43 +0000 There will be no performance at the annual reception on Friday commemorating Hong Kong’s reunification with China, the city’s top official said in the wake of a deadly fire which killed two firefighters last week. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was speaking before the Executive Council’s weekly meeting, a day after lawmakers from across the political spectrum urged the government to scale down the celebration of the 19th anniversary of the 1997 handover. They said the reception was “not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1982536/performance-july-1-reception-cancelled-cy-leung-says-wake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1982536/performance-july-1-reception-cancelled-cy-leung-says-wake?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2016 05:38:16 +0000 The two firefighters killed while battling one of the longest-running fires in the city are likely to be awarded gold medals for bravery, the Post has learned. The news emerged on Tuesday morning as more than a hundred firefighters gathered outside the Ngau Tau Kok industrial building where a fourth-alarm blaze took place last week to mourn the death of senior fireman Samuel Hui Chi-kit, 37. A similar ritual was held for senior station officer Thomas Cheung, 30, on Monday afternoon. A source... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1982492/two-firemen-who-died-battling-ngau-tau-kok-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1982492/two-firemen-who-died-battling-ngau-tau-kok-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2016 03:45:15 +0000 The Ngau Tau Kok blaze was finally extinguished after raging for 108 hours. But that does not lessen the grief we feel for the two firemen – Thomas Cheung and Samuel Hui Chi-kit – who died in the line of duty battling one of the city’s longest-running infernos. Our gratitude also goes to their colleagues, who worked tirelessly for days to put out the fire. Condolences and tributes aside, it is important that we look into the underlying issues and prevent a recurrence. A government task force is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1982295/time-lets-heed-lessons-fire-claimed-two-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1982295/time-lets-heed-lessons-fire-claimed-two-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2016 15:33:08 +0000 An electrical leakage may have been one cause of the deadly blaze in the Ngau Tau Kok industrial building, a police source has told the Post. The fire, which burned for 108 hours, was the longest-running blaze in 20 years and claimed the lives of two firefighters. “It is possible the electrical leakage was caused by an air conditioner,” he said. “Therefore, parts of air conditioners and burned electrical wires were taken from the fire scene for examination in a joint probe with officers from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1982259/electrical-leakage-may-have-caused-deadly-ngau-tau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1982259/electrical-leakage-may-have-caused-deadly-ngau-tau?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2016 13:24:02 +0000 Pressure is mounting for the Hong Kong government to scale down its celebrations on Friday for the 19th anniversary of the city’s handover, after a pro-establishment lawmaker urged officials to consider residents’ feelings in the aftermath of a deadly fire that killed two firemen. Since 1997, local authorities have annually organised on July 1 a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and a reception at the nearby Convention and Exhibition Centre to celebrate the former... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1982213/tone-down-july-1-celebrations-hong-kong-lawmakers-urge-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1982213/tone-down-july-1-celebrations-hong-kong-lawmakers-urge-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2016 10:01:24 +0000 The city’s firefighters assembled in their hundreds on Monday afternoon to pay their last respects to a colleague who lost his life while battling one of Hong Kong’s longest-burning building fires. Standing in their uniforms in the sweltering heat outside the Amoycan Industrial Centre, they mourned senior station officer Thomas Cheung, 30, one of the two firefighters killed in the 108-hour inferno. It was a sombre ceremony, many bowing their heads in grief and remembrance. About 10 of Cheung’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1982124/day-remembrance-and-tribute-hong-kong-firefighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1982124/day-remembrance-and-tribute-hong-kong-firefighter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:00:45 +0000 Hong Kong stars and singers have joined hands in showing support for the city’s firefighters, who spent more than 108 hours fighting the inferno last week, losing two of their colleagues. The “Salute to Our Firefighters” campaign was launched on Sunday by a group of artistes, veteran actors Andy Lau Tak-wah, Eric Tsang Chi-wai, Sammo Hung Kam-bo and Canto-pop star Eason Chan Yik-shun. They urged people to upload to Facebook a picture of themselves holding a piece of paper with the message... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1982035/facebook-salute-firefighters-andy-lau-eric-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1982035/facebook-salute-firefighters-andy-lau-eric-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2016 05:00:15 +0000