A deadly inferno that engulfed a Hong Kong apartment complex has fueled public anger over the city’s housing crisis.
Police on Thursday arrested three people linked to the construction company overseeing the estate’s renovation work; authorities are also probing the firm over potentially using flammable materials.
But Hong Kongers believe blaming bamboo scaffolding for the blaze — the city’s deadliest in decades — deflects from the underlying problem: A lack of affordable housing has led to millions living in tightly-packed towers that “become death traps when disaster strikes,” The Guardian’s China correspondent wrote.
Efforts to resolve the crisis have languished, but the fire’s political fallout for Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed leader could “reshape one of the world’s priciest property markets,” Reuter’s China columnist said.