Ambiguous rules, lax supervision and uncoordinated policies involving at least four departments are among some deep-rooted problems contributing to the inferno that killed 160 residents in Hong Kong, analysts have said, as the Post reviewed what went wrong. Some industry insiders also questioned whether housing authorities, who oversee a lesser-known independent checking unit, should have…
Hundreds of property owners in Hong Kong are grappling with uncertainties after 29 private buildings and estates were ordered to suspend renovation work carried out by a contractor linked to the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court and two other firms. Residents at three of the estates told the Post they had already spent millions…
As Hong Kong mourns the victims of the deadly Tai Po blaze and questions emerge on accountability, experts have called for much tighter supervision of building maintenance and fire safety by authorities to hold relevant parties responsible so that future tragedies can be averted. They gave this assessment as the government set up an interdepartmental…
Systemic failings around supervision of building maintenance in Hong Kong, and a lack of coordination between departments charged with ensuring it is done properly, both needed to be addressed to prevent tragedies such as the Tai Po fire happening again, experts and sector representatives have said. The regulation of polystyrene foam boards was particularly important,…
Systemic failings around supervision of building maintenance in Hong Kong, and a lack of coordination between departments charged with ensuring it is done properly, both needed to be addressed to prevent tragedies such as the Tai Po fire happening again, experts and sector representatives have said. The regulation of polystyrene foam boards was particularly important,…
As the only city in the world with five universities among the global top 100, Hong Kong has long cemented its leading position in higher education in the region. It has scaled new heights with a record six institutes in the latest world top 200 ranking by Times Higher Education, further reinforcing its aspiration to…
Hong Kong building owners could incur millions of dollars in costs and require a year to repair glass curtain walls damaged by storms, experts have said, as Super Typhoon Ragasa sparks safety concerns with its potential record wind speeds. The Observatory warned on Monday that Ragasa could pose a “considerably larger” threat than Super Typhoon…
Hong Kong is developing a rapid test for chikungunya fever that could detect the disease at an earlier stage, as part of the city’s efforts to harness technology to combat the public health risk. Ricky Chiu Yin-to, founder and CEO of biotechnology company Phase Scientific, said on Monday that his team was working to develop…
Hong Kong’s Lingnan University has acquired commercial assets in a residential building in New Territories, joining a number of schools and universities that have snapped up real estate assets amid a slump in values. The university bought the shopping arcade, ground floor shops and a car park in the T-Plus residential tower for about HK$120…
Hong Kong’s South Lantau ecotourism plans could be reduced to property projects that threaten the environment if authorities fail to set clear guidelines, green groups and academics have warned ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for developers to express their interest. Greenpeace, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, seven other groups and an academic also said on…