Hong Kong proposes new fire safety amendments, including a smoking ban at construction sites, following the deadly Wang Fuk Court inferno. The rules take effect July 17 after Legco approval.
India's major cities are seeing a rise in skyscrapers, but safety concerns are paramount. The National Building Code mandates fire safety, structural integrity, and electrical safety for buildings over 15 meters, with implementation by municipal bodies and fire services.
At least four patients died in a hospital fire in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district early Thursday. Separately, Delhi police arrested a hotel owner after a fire killed 21 people, sparking a safety crackdown.
The owner of a Delhi hotel where a fire killed 21 people claims he drove past the burning building and left due to fear. Lavkesh Bajaj is under investigation for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Police arrested Lovkesh Bajaj, co-owner of Hotel Flourish Stays in New Delhi, after a fire killed 21 people. The hotel allegedly operated beyond capacity, lacked fire safety clearance, and had unauthorized construction.
A probe into the Flourish Stay Bed and Breakfast fire revealed numerous rule violations, including illegal construction, lack of fire safety, and a single exit point. The establishment operated as a 25-room hotel despite a license for six rooms. Locked gates and electronic key-card locks hampered rescue efforts, contributing to a high casualty count.
Lavkesh Bajaj, owner of a Malviya Nagar hotel where a fire killed 21, has been detained. The hotel operated at four times capacity without fire safety clearance, officials said.
A lookout circular has been issued against the owner of a Malviya Nagar hotel and his wife after a fire killed 21 people. The hotel allegedly operated at four times its capacity without fire safety clearance.
A devastating fire at a Malviya Nagar hotel, allegedly operating 25 rooms under a six-room B&B license and lacking a fire NOC, killed 21 people. Sealed windows and malfunctioning sensor gates hampered escape, with locals breaking in to rescue trapped occupants.
A fire at a Delhi hotel killed at least 21 people, exposing lax fire safety standards in India. The National Building Code outlines fire prevention and safety measures, but enforcement is a significant challenge, particularly for commercial buildings and high-rises.
As extreme wildfire activity doubles, new safety solutions like the "Fort" refuge bunker and "HiberTec" hydraulic homes are emerging. Companies are developing innovative products, from fire-proof shelters to grass-clearing goats, driven by personal experiences with devastating fires.
The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Fire Department will inspect 334 self-service gas stations until the end of July to prevent fire and explosion accidents caused by rising summer temperatures and volatile substances. The inspection will focus on engine shutdown during refueling, prohibition of smoking, customer monitoring, and staff qualifications.
A fire at Utumishi Girls School in Gilgil, Kenya, killed 1 and injured 79 pupils; investigation into fire safety protocols underway.
Police recommended charges against 77 individuals and organizations for the Grenfell Tower fire. Survivors express mixed relief, grief, and anger over the lengthy process, with trials unlikely before 2028. Campaigners criticize slow progress and weak corporate manslaughter laws.
Hong Kong's Fire Services Department will conduct ad hoc checks on high-risk buildings, prioritizing residential blocks with scaffolding nets and those undergoing major renovations due to increased evacuation difficulties during fires.
Hong Kong will ban smoking at construction sites from July 17 following a deadly blaze. Amendments to existing ordinances will designate sites as no-smoking areas, with fines for workers and contractors.
The newly notified National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) has raised the height threshold for fire and life safety provisions from 15 metres to 24 metres, excluding most residential buildings from mandatory safety compliance. While the Deregulation Cell had directed exclusion of fire safety entirely, technical experts pushed for its inclusion. The provisions remain advisory, citing fire services as a state subject and municipal function. Experts warn that inadequate municipal capacity to formulate detailed norms could lead to inconsistent safety standards and increased professional liability.
The Audit Commission revealed that Hong Kong's Fire Services Department has not launched prosecutions in 34 cases involving mini-storage premises that failed to comply with safety hazard orders, including cases dating back to 2016 inspections. None of the 249 industrial buildings required to improve fire safety measures have complied with orders under a 2020 law. The findings come after a deadly blaze at Ngau Tau Kok in June 2016 killed two firefighters and took 108 hours to extinguish, prompting citywide inspections of mini-storage facilities.
Hong Kong authorities will launch a public consultation on new fire safety requirements and offences with severe penalties following the city's deadliest blaze in decades. Key proposals include elevating administrative measures like six-month alarm bell tests to legal requirements and increasing the maximum penalty for unauthorized fire equipment handling and false certificates from HK$50,000 to HK$3 million plus three years' imprisonment. The bill is targeted for submission to the Legislative Council by the end of 2026.
Hong Kong's Security Bureau proposes sweeping legal amendments to fire safety regulations following a deadly November blaze at Tai Po's Wang Fuk Court. The amendments would increase maximum fines from HK$50,000 to HK$3 million and impose up to three years' imprisonment for unauthorized handling of fire equipment and false certificates. Contractors would require prior approval before deactivating firefighting systems and must report malfunctions within 24 hours.
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong labour authorities’ handling of Wang Fuk Court residents’ complaints and inspections at the renovation site were scrutinised by the independent committee on the 16th day of its evidential hearing. Officers from the Labour Department testified on Tuesday before the judge-led panel investigating the fire that engulfed all but one of the estate’s eight...
The 15th day of public hearings into the Wang Fuk Court fire tragedy heard testimony about proxy voting irregularities and failed fire safety oversight. Witness Kong Cheung-fat alleged the new owners' corporation leadership failed to address proxy ballot problems, and that his vice-chairman election was rigged. The fire killed 168 people in November and is the deadliest in Hong Kong since 1948.
The 15th day of public hearings into the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire heard testimony about proxy ballot manipulation and fire safety failures. Witness Kong Cheung-fat alleged election rigging and detailed how the owners' corporation failed to oversee renovation contractor Prestige Construction, which used flammable materials despite warnings. The November 2023 fire killed 168 people and left nearly 5,000 homeless.
