Jordan blaze 'was fatal because of blocked fire doors'

After a month-long investigation, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin revealed that some fire doors in the New Lucky House building were blocked, preventing them from closing fully when the fire broke out. This allowed thick smoke to spread up to the other floors, proving deadly for the residents.

Yeung said the No 3 blaze was believed to have started on the first floor after materials there caught fire. The fire department interviewed 44 injured people and witnesses over the past month, and used simulations to determine the cause.

"As some of the fire doors were blocked from fully closing, the thick smoke filled the two staircases of the building," Yeung said. "The open fire doors sent smoke up to other floors, causing residents to inhale the smoke and collapse or die."

The fire department had received past complaints about the open fire doors at New Lucky House and had inspected the building 51 times in the last three years, issuing fire hazard notices. However, Yeung said it was impossible for firefighters to know when the doors were blocked.

In the wake of this tragedy, the department has stepped up inspections of old composite buildings, with over 2,000 checks conducted in the past month. This resulted in 600 fire hazard notices being issued.

The government has also proposed amending laws to allow authorities to carry out necessary fire safety improvements if owners delay the process.

Yeung added that there are 239 high-risk old composite buildings in Hong Kong, many of which contain numerous guesthouses, like Chungking Mansions - which has more than 100 guesthouses - and Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui, Sincere House and Sun Hing Building in Mong Kok, and Alhambra Building in Yau Ma Tei.

Yeung said fire hazards are similar in different buildings which often have issues with blocked escape routes and a failure to close the fire doors, posing serious risks.

The deadly New Lucky House fire has highlighted the urgent need to address fire safety in Hong Kong's aging buildings. The government's proposed legal changes and the fire department's intensified inspections aim to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com