By James Pomfret and Clare Jim
HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong's deadliest fire in three decades has highlighted its risky use of flammable bamboo scaffolding and mesh for building work in a tradition dating back centuries to mainland China.
Authorities have not determined the cause of the blaze, but images from the scene showed the fire spreading rapidly across green netting covering the scaffolding erected around the housing complex.
Some of the bamboo lattices crashed to the ground in flames.
For decades in the skyscraper-strewn former British colony, bamboo has been the material of choice for scaffolding - cheap, abundant and flexible - bound together with nylon cords.
The craft originated on mainland China where bamboo, viewed as symbolising grace and moral fortitude, has since ancient times been a cornerstone of architecture, even reputedly used for scaffolding and tools in the building of the Great Wall.
METAL SCAFFOLDING BECOMING MORE PROMINENT
Now, though, it has largely been phased out in Mainland China for sturdier metal scaffolding and clamps. But Hong Kong, despite its modernity, still has around 2,500 registered bamboo scaffolding masters, according to official figures.
The number of metal scaffolders is around triple that.
Small teams of scaffolders scrambling up vertiginous gleaming facades to sheathe a building in a matter of weeks is a familiar sight in the global financial hub.
The bamboo lattices are also often used alongside green construction mesh to prevent debris from injuring passers-by, as was the case in the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district.
SCAFFOLDING CHECKS PROMISED
The fire that began Wednesday afternoon killed at least 55 people with nearly 300 missing. Hong Kong police said on Thursday that "the building’s exterior walls had protective nets, membranes, waterproof tarpaulins, and plastic sheets suspected of not meeting fire safety standards."
The city's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it had launched an investigation, while Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee said a task force had been set up to investigate the cause of the blaze.
He said the government would check whether scaffolding mesh materials meet fire retardant standards and other safety standards on other projects.
Police arrested two directors of the contractor responsible for the renovation of the building and a consultant on manslaughter charges after finding materials were used in construction that did not meet safety standards.
The company, Prestige Construction & Engineering, did not answer repeated requests for comment.
In March, the government said 50% of new public works contracts would be required to use metal scaffolding going forward.
But the emphasis appeared to be more on worker safety rather than fire risks. There were 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024, according to official figures.
Lee told reporters on Thursday that Hong Kong's government was considering mandating the use of metal scaffolding in the future and had met with industry to discuss a phase-out of bamboo.
In October, a massive bamboo scaffolding caught fire at the Chinachem Tower in the Central business district. Fire consumed construction netting and bamboo poles, leaving windows burnt out and external walls badly seared.
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims in Hong Kong said in a Facebook post that there had been at least two other fires involving bamboo scaffolding this year.
Protective nets, screens and tarpaulins or plastic sheeting installed on the face of scaffolding "should have appropriate fire retardant properties in compliance with a recognised standard," says the Hong Kong Labour Department's Code of Practice for Bamboo Scaffolding Safety.
WHISTLE-BLOWER POINTS TO RISKS IN OTHER HOUSING BLOCKS
Jason Poon, a whistle-blower who has previously exposed shoddy construction work in Hong Kong, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that fire hazard risks existed in scaffolding at many housing complexes.
He said he had reached out to various government departments last year concerning the lack of fire retardant in scaffolding nets at another complex, but he was ignored.
Hong Kong's fire and building safety regulators did not respond to a request to comment.
"Of course, in terms of material, metal scaffolding is less flammable. That’s a fact," said Chau Sze Kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union.
But he said the fire risk for bamboo scaffolding could be limited if a construction management team takes the right steps.
"Fires on scaffolding usually happen because construction debris accumulates on it - things like paper, towels, clothing, or other flammable materials," he told Reuters. "Poor management leads to these incidents."
(Reporting by James Pomfret and Clare Jim in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Aaron McNicholas in London; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Sharon Singleton)
