China Launches Nationwide High-Rise Fire Safety Checks After Hong Kong Tragedy

China on Saturday announced a sweeping nationwide inspection of fire-safety standards in high-rise buildings after a deadly blaze in Hong Kong claimed at least 128 lives. The move aims to prevent a similar disaster on the mainland.

In a statement, the Ministry of Emergency Management said the campaign will give particular attention to buildings undergoing exterior renovation or interior alterations.

“We must comprehensively strengthen fire-safety management in high-rise buildings to better protect people’s lives and property,” the ministry said. The State Council’s Work Safety Committee has already notified local authorities to begin inspections.

Chinese officials remain highly sensitive to incidents that could trigger social unrest, especially after a 2022 fire in Xinjiang killed 10 people and prompted widespread protests amid strict COVID-19 lockdowns.

The Hong Kong fire has become a major test of Beijing’s governance of the city, and mainland authorities are working quickly to signal that they are treating the tragedy with utmost seriousness.

The inspection campaign outlines four priority areas:

• the use of potentially flammable insulation materials on exterior walls,
• banned construction materials such as bamboo scaffolding,
• fire-safety equipment, and
• emergency escape routes.

Local governments have been instructed to conduct “thorough inspections” and take “immediate corrective action” wherever risks are identified.

“Those who commit serious violations will face strict penalties, and officials who fail to eliminate major safety hazards will be held accountable,” the ministry said.

The Hong Kong blaze, which erupted on Wednesday, swept rapidly through seven of the eight 32-storey towers of an apartment complex covered in bamboo scaffolding and foam insulation materials for renovation—conditions that helped fuel the fire’s spread.