AA Edit | Hong Kong Fire a Wake-up Call

The massive fire that engulfed eight of the 32-floor buildings in just five minutes was the worst blaze reported in the financial hub in decades. It killed 55 people, injured 61, rendered 900 homeless, and left 279 still unaccounted for.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but experts suspect bamboo scaffolding and plastic mesh wrapped around the structures as part of construction work, spreading the fire around the building. Police arrested three men on suspicion of negligently leaving foam packaging at the fire site.

The bamboo scaffolding — an ancient construction technique that dates back to the Han dynasty — is still preferred in Hong Kong as it is in India for construction. Though bamboo is famous for its flexibility, it is highly combustible, and several countries have replaced it with metal frameworks.

Apart from the quick spread of fire in the building, the failure of the fire alarm has raised concerns over the fire safety measures in urban areas.

With the culture of high-rises spreading fast in India, the government could take lessons from this inferno to formulate appropriate policies for the Indian real estate sector, which still largely ignores safety norms.

Urbanisation without safety is a recipe for tragedy, and disasters like Hong Kong’s are grim reminders of how easily negligence can turn housing societies into death traps.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 7,435 people were killed in over 7,500 fire accidents in India in 2022. Nearly half of these accidents occurred in residential areas. Of this, 1,567 accidents were caused by short circuits and 1,551 by gas cylinder or stove bursts, which could spread fast in the presence of inflammable material.

Policymakers must understand that fire safety is not a cost. It is an essential investment, especially in vertically rising cities, which protects lives, livelihoods and the credibility of urban development. The Hong Kong disaster must serve as a wake-up call, not merely another passing headline.