60-year-old building dodged inspection

Lawmakers have called for a thorough investigation into New Lucky House after the building was found to have failed to comply with a mandatory building inspection order issued six years ago.

Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the 60-year-old building consisting of over 200 units was issued an order in 2018 but had yet to comply with it.

It is necessary for the Buildings Department to address the non-compliance by the building, he added.

Cheng said police should investigate whether there were unlawful guesthouses in the building as they could be fire traps.

Scott Leung Man-kwong, from the A4 Alliance, backed the call for government action, saying inspections should also be conducted in other old buildings with guesthouses to make sure fire equipment and escape signs are adequate there.

Chris Ip Ngo-tung, a member of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, said the presence of some 100 subdivided units and over 30 guesthouses in the old building made management "challenging."

Residents had complained about cigarette butts being dumped and litter piling up in public spaces but these problems had not been resolved.

An owner, speaking on condition of anonymity, recalled that the Buildings Department had issued a direction mandating fire-safety improvement works years ago.

But, he added, many members of the owners' corporation ran guesthouses and opposed the works due to the costs.

As a result, no improvement work had been done, according to the owner.

Referring to the guesthouses and subdivided units found in the building, fire-safety consultant Leung Kam-tak said the unauthorized conversion of residential units to commercial use would increase the number of people in the building.

"This, in turn, can strain the fire-escape routes and increase fire hazards," Leung said.

Former fire services director Lam Chun-man said not all old buildings face the same kinds of fire hazard as long as no unauthorized alteration is made.

Regular fire-safety inspections could help reduce the risk of a tragedy occurring, the ex-fire chief said.

An owner of Power Gymnasium, surnamed Ma, told The Standard's sister outlet Sing Tao Headline that he was deeply sad about the casualties of the fire. Ma, 42, who was not at the gym when the fire broke out, said he immediately returned to the building after a management officer told him about the blaze. He added: "I am not yet allowed to go into my fitness center to estimate the damage and loss because the site is still cordoned off."

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com