Kris Cheng
@krislc
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London-based Hong Kong journalist covering UK/EU/US-China relations, Diplomacy, Greater China stories. Reports in @hkfp @VOANews @nikkeiasia
Hong Kong/London
Joined April 2007
Many would blame bamboo scaffolding for the fire, but the scaffolding stood even after a day of flames. Instead, Hong Kong Police suspected the safety net and water proof canvas used were sub-par, and form boards covering windows may also helped the fire spread.
The Fire Services Department brought Wednesday's deadly Tai Po fire under control in the early hours of Thursday. At least 44 people are dead, 279 are missing and dozens are injured after a fire engulfed seven residential towers. Full coverage: https://t.co/8LaESI6WYA Photo:
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The arrests in Hong Kong right now are déjà vu for mainlanders like me who were active in civil society in the 2000s: citizens demanding government accountability after public disasters are met not with answers, but arrests and intimidation. #mainlandization
11月28日晚，“大埔宏福苑火灾关注组”提出“有关香港火灾的四大诉求”，并发起联署。联署发起人之一 關靖豐Miles 在大埔墟站附近派发传单。 29日晚，据《独立媒体》报道，他因涉嫌“煽动”被带回住所搜证，“大埔宏福苑火灾关注组”的社交媒体账号也已被关闭。该联署在被关闭前，已有逾一万个签名。
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We are not “creating” Artificial Intelligence; we are discovering Artificial Intelligence. Science does not “create” things; it is a discipline of discovery. We are recognizing and discovering the “reality” of Artificial Intelligence. This is a critical distinction. (Book VI)
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Oversimplified ladder trucks issue: “I stated that no city has ladder trucks capable of reaching 100 or 200 meters… their use is limited by practical constraints such as the width of access roads. I acknowledge that my statement may have oversimplified the issue”
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Incorrect: “I mistakenly stated that fire engines from Chinese Mainland had arrived in Hong Kong to assist with firefighting efforts.”
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Also lacking evidence: “I also wish to clarify that my statement suggesting the fire spread “in one or two minutes” to approximately 30 floors was not based on detailed investigation, but rather an observation of the rapid vertical fire spread.”
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Celebrate the holidays in style. Grab your festive tee today!
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From Huang: Lack of evidence: “I stated that bamboo is a combustible material and can contribute to fire spread… The actual contribution of bamboo, relative to other materials, is a complex scientific question that requires systematic investigation and fire experiments.”
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.@HongKongPolyU scholar Xinyan Huang has been under fire from Hong Kong people over his comments on various news segments on the fire. He has now issued a clarification, which he apologised for making incorrect comments. He also oversimplified at times. https://t.co/JGuTM024sy
polyu.edu.hk
I wish to address and clarify several points arising from my recent interview with Channel 4 News on 26 November 2025 regarding the Wang Fuk Court fire ...
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Imran Khan, a lawyer who represented the bereaved in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, said Hong Kong could use a similar public probe. "An internal investigation will not get to the truth and there will be no faith in it by the bereaved, survivors and residents," Khan said.3⃣🔵
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Activist Finn Lau, wanted by the Hong Kong police with a HK$1 million bounty, is a UK-chartered surveyor by trade
1/ I don’t often speak in my professional capacity as a Hong Kong–born, UK-chartered construction professional (MRICS, MAPM, NECReg, among others). But I need to address inaccurate reporting about bamboo scaffolding in the Hong Kong Tai Po fire. (1/9)
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Here’s petition initiator Miles Kwan, who was detained by police, when he was brought back to his home by officers to gather evidence @inmediahk
One of the people who started the petition has been taken away by the police, and the Instagram page has shut down - ReNews
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“using the disaster to destabilise Hong Kong so as to endanger national security”
Moves to silence criticisms of the Hong Kong Government’s handling of the Tai Po Fires aftermath is in full swing. A spokesman for the China Central Government’s National Security Office in Hong Kong is now saying that anyone who “maliciously” criticises the HK Government would
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Residents are making "four demands" to the Hong Kong government Chinese text:
At a nearby train station, several people distributed hundreds of leaflets demanding an independent inquiry into regulatory negligence, resettlement, government accountability and for the construction monitoring system to be re-examined. https://t.co/y12nuaHL3S
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-Hong Kong police say the scaffolding’s protective nets, tarpaulins and plastic sheets may not have met fire safety standards -Foam boards installed on windows may have also exacerbated the fire’s spread
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Terrible news from #HongKong, where residential buildings are engulfed in a major fire. My thoughts go out to the victims, to everyone fearing for their loved ones and all who work tirelessly to reach those still trapped in the flames.
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Pope Leo XIV sends a telegram to the Bishop of Hong Kong and assures his prayers for victims of a devastating fire at an apartment complex in the city’s Tai Po district. https://t.co/xSo4dt3fVj
vaticannews.va
In a telegram addressed to the Bishop of Hong Kong, Pope Leo XIV says he is praying for victims of a devastating fire at an apartment complex in the ...
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If anyone is wondering why the PRC is interested in pushing anti-bamboo scaffolding propaganda (which the Hong Kong Government is now also pushing - for those who can read Chinese, see graphic): scaffolding works is one of the last bastions of construction work in which Chinese
Note to western journalists: don’t suck up PRC propaganda. Bamboo scaffolding is widely regarded as safe - a craft in Hong Kong of which they’re rightly proud. Early indications are that the netting was the cause of this tragedy.
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"I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and offer my sincere sympathies to their families. I also extend my heartfelt sympathies to the affected people."
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Japanese PM @takaichi_sanae: "I am deeply saddened by the massive fire that occurred in high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong, causing significant loss. https://t.co/1QuAUBHMeb
mofa.go.jp
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Condolences from Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te over Hong Kong fire:
香港新界大埔昨晚發生重大火災，蔓延多棟住宅高樓。目前已有逾百人傷亡、仍有多人失蹤。所幸消防人員努力搶救，火勢已受到控制。 此時此刻，讓我們一起為香港祈福。我要為所有在災害中逝去的香港朋友、及其家屬致上最深的哀悼之意，並誠摯的慰問傷者，也希望能早日平安尋獲失蹤者。
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