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For Paul Chow, the images are almost too much to bear. The Hong Kong apartment complex he has called home for more than 30 years burnt to ashes in a massive fire It has taken the lives of 150 people and counting.
“I still can’t believe this happened in Hong Kong,” Chow said. “When I saw the videos and pictures of the fire, I thought maybe it was a scene from a movie.”
Chow grew up in a sprawling eight-block compound in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district before immigrating to Toronto three years ago. He says that seeing this disaster from a distance felt as if living in a nightmare.
“I feel very sad and very sad about the fire and the seven buildings,” he said. “I also get angry because I don’t think the government will be transparent.”
The fire started last Wednesday The chaos at the Wang Fuc Court apartment complex lasted for two days and was completely extinguished by workers on Friday. The fire gutted seven towers in the complex due to foam panels and bamboo scaffolding used for renovation.
As of Monday, officials have confirmed more than 150 deaths, while at least 30 people are still missing. Officials say it is the worst fire to hit the region in more than 100 years.
More than a dozen people were arrested
Police and city’s anti-corruption agency have arrested 14 people The multi-million dollar renovation project is still undergoing extensive investigation. Those detained include a scaffolding subcontractor, the director of a construction company and a consultant, many of them suspected of murder and gross negligence.
Andy Wong, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link, says this tragedy demands answers.
“We are demanding an independent investigation into what happened, what went wrong, what system safeguards failed,” Wong said. “That independent investigation should have the powers to open a criminal investigation and actually look at whether there was any criminal conduct involved, including whether the officers were actually doing their job.”
For Chau, the devastation is a relief that her parents and younger sister, who still live in one of the towers, were not home at the time of the fire and are safe.
A local show of support is planned for Saturday at the North York Memorial Community Hall, where Toronto’s Hong Kong community will gather to mourn, unite and call for an independent investigation into the disaster.