Some locals have fiercely defended the practice of using bamboo, accusing the government of scapegoating and taking others to task over what they view as orientalist attitudes towards a long-renowned Hong Kong craft.
“This is a really complicated multifaceted problem,” Anwar Orabi, a civil engineer specialising in fire safety at the University of Queensland, told AFP.
He stressed that “a clear answer is premature at this stage”.
“The bamboo, or rather the entire scaffolding, was on fire… It is not the only contributor… but is very likely a component of it.”
Preliminary findings suggest the fire started on protective netting outside the lower floors of one building, and quickly spread upwards thanks to “highly flammable” foam boards, security chief Chris Tang said.
The foam boards were attached to windows, shattering the glass and causing the fire “to intensify and spread indoors”, he added.
The intense heat set the bamboo alight, and sticks of it broke off and fell to floors below, meaning the fire spread further, he said.
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