Tianjin’s Binhai New Area, scarred by 2015 chemical blasts, is pushing fire safety measures after drawing lessons from a deadly Hong Kong blaze. District officials viewed footage and a preliminary report on the incident during a meeting. The Hong Kong fire has claimed at least 146 lives.
Tianjin’s Binhai New Area held a fire safety meeting on Saturday, following chemical blasts in 2015 that killed 173 people. The session came days after a catastrophic high-rise blaze in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, which claimed more than 120 lives.
Officials were shown footage and a preliminary report from the Hong Kong incident. Firefighters took over 40 hours to bring the blaze under control. At least 146 people, including a firefighter, have been confirmed dead, with another 79 injured and 150 still unaccounted for. Flammable construction materials and malfunctioning alarm systems are believed to have driven up the toll.
The Hong Kong government has launched criminal investigations into the cause, with the Independent Commission Against Corruption arresting eight individuals, including consultants, scaffolding subcontractors, and a middleman for the renovation project.
Binhai New Area listed ‘seven strict’ noes and ‘six musts’ in its fire safety push. The drive aims to take profound lessons from the Hong Kong tragedy to prevent repeats. The 2015 blasts involved chemicals like ammonium nitrate, nitrocellulose, and sodium cyanide.