57 h. ago Hong Kong’s Response to Deadly Fire Shows China’s Play Book in Action

Hong Kong’s Response to Deadly Fire Shows China’s Play Book in Action  The New York Times

Events

58 h. ago Digging through Hong Kong’s disaster site left them wanting to cry

Hazy air laced with a pungent odour, dark rooms filled with debris, bodies that had to be carefully extracted by hand. The discovery of a dead child. The head of the police team responsible for the search of the Hong Kong residential complex destroyed in an inferno gave an account on Wednesday of the harrowing conditions they faced inside the seven towers as work came to an end. The task of checking the more than 1,000 flats at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was both physically and emotionally...

Events

3 d. ago Hongkongers gather on seventh day after Tai Po fire to grieve and demand answers

Residents and mourners have demanded that the Hong Kong government ramp up its investigations to hold responsible parties accountable, as they gathered to mark the seventh day after the start of the city’s worst fire in seven decades. Hundreds of people assembled at the Kwong Fuk sit-out area on Tuesday, laying flowers, writing messages of grief and praying for those who died in the blaze that engulfed Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po last week. Among them was Lui Yuk-lin, a 62-year-old...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong’s Response to Deadly Fire Is Squeezed by China’s Firm Hand

Hong Kong’s Response to Deadly Fire Is Squeezed by China’s Firm Hand  The Wall Street Journal

Events

6 d. ago Hong Kong’s national security police question man over fire response petition

Hong Kong’s national security police have questioned an individual who allegedly launched a petition calling on the government to address four demands following the deadly blaze in Tai Po, the Post has learned. The move on Saturday came as the central government’s national security authorities in Hong Kong warned against “anti-China and ill-intentioned individuals” exploiting the tragedy in an attempt to disrupt the city. A source said the man taken to a police station for questoning was...

Events

6 d. ago Man arrested for alleged sedition in Hong Kong amid warning over fire rumours

Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested a man on suspicion of trying to incite sedition in relation to the deadly blaze in Tai Po, the Post has learned. The move on Saturday came as the central government’s national security authorities in Hong Kong warned against “anti-China and ill-intentioned individuals” exploiting the tragedy in an attempt to disrupt the city. A source earlier said a man, identified as “Miles”, had been taken to a police station for questioning. It remains...

Events

7 d. ago Failure of fire alarms could have delayed rescue, cost lives, expert says

The failure of fire alarms in the deadly Tai Po blaze could have delayed the response and evacuation of residents, according to a leading Hong Kong fire safety specialist. Anthony Lam Chun-man, a former director of the city’s Fire Services Department (FSD), also said the extreme heat and intense flames both inside and outside made it almost impossible for firefighters to enter to fight the blaze and rescue survivors. On Friday, officials said the alarms in all eight blocks of Wang Fuk Court did...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong lenders tread carefully amid mixed recovery signs: TransUnion

Following the recent rate cut, Hong Kong lenders are cautiously easing household lending as they navigate a recovery that remains uneven and filled with mixed signals, according to credit reference agency TransUnion. In response to the US Federal Reserve’s latest cut, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority – the city’s de facto central bank – reduced its base rate to 4.25 per cent in October, its second decrease this year. That has prompted major banks to lower their prime rates and reduce borrowing...

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