Sub-divided flats targeted after fire

The Secretary for Development of Hong Kong said on Saturday that a large-scale operation will be carried out against sub-divided flats after inspecting the scene of a recent downtown fire which killed nine.

The operation, conducted by the Buildings Department, will target 334 buildings which have hawker stalls in front of them, and old tenement buildings that have two staircases built before 1980, Carrie Lam told the media.

On Wednesday, a deadly fire broke out in Hong Kong's downtown area of Mong Kok. The blaze started at hawker stalls on Fa Yuen Street and then spread to the neighboring buildings. Till now, Hong Kong police have identified a suspect who is aged 40 to 45, and was dressed in a light color jacket and jeans

Lam said some of the sub-divided flats at the fire site blocked the back staircase which could have been used as a fire escape.

"As an immediate issue, upon discussion with the Director of Buildings, we are now adjusting our current large-scale operation against sub-divided flats this year," Lam said.

"In the coming six months, we will conduct a risk-based large- scale operation against sub-divided flats in Hong Kong. We will immediately undertake that stepped-up enforcement action," she said.


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