Highly flammable Styrofoam found installed at Tai Po fire site

已複製連結

Police and Fire Services held a press conference early this morning for the Tai Po fire. 

The preliminary investigation found that some of the materials used on the building’s exterior walls are suspected of not meeting fire safety standards, and there was also Styrofoam installed outside the windows of some elevator lobbies.

The police arrested two directors of the maintenance engineering company involved and one engineering consultant on suspicion of manslaughter.

Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung said: “On the building’s exterior walls there were certain installed items such as protective nets, protective films, waterproof tarpaulins, and plastic sheeting, which are suspected of not meeting fire safety standards. During our on-site investigation, we found that in another block that was not affected by the fire, outside the windows of the elevator lobby on every floor, there was Styrofoam. I think everyone knows Styrofoam is highly flammable and can accelerate the spread of a fire. We do not rule out the possibility that this Styrofoam contributed to the rapid spread of this fire. Our preliminary investigation indicates that the Styrofoam found outside the windows was installed by a construction engineering company carrying out maintenance work at the building. We have reason to believe that the persons in charge of the company were grossly negligent, leading to this incident and causing the fire to spread out of control.”