Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stated on Thursday that the government has arranged inspections for all housing estates across Hong Kong currently undergoing large-scale renovations to assess the safety of scaffolding and construction materials.
The move came after police said the protective netting used on the exterior walls of Wang Fuk Court may have failed to meet fire safety standards.
In a social media post today, Lee stated that he had chaired an interdepartmental meeting to coordinate a comprehensive response and review the latest developments.
“The government will make every effort to extinguish the fire, rescue trapped residents, and treat the injured,” he said.
Post-incident support will be provided, including assistance to the families of the deceased, the injured, and affected residents, such as temporary accommodation, social worker support, and financial assistance.
Meanwhile, Lee expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts of all firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, and frontline workers who have been engaged in rescue operations.
“The tragic loss of a firefighter is an immense loss for us,” he said. “The government will provide full support to the family of the firefighter who died in the line of duty, as well as to the injured colleagues and their families, offering all necessary assistance.”
He described the fire as a merciless disaster and encouraged citizens to face the collective grief with strength and solidarity during this difficult time.
Additionally, Lee and several government officials have removed their profile pictures on social media platforms as a gesture of mourning.
Within half an hour of Lee changing his social media page to black-and-white, all policy bureaus and departments followed suit by switching their official websites and social media pages to a black-and-white color scheme, including the Information Services Department, Hong Kong Police Force, Housing Bureau, Health Bureau, and the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office.
