Unfortunate apartment name

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David Newton
Posts: 1523
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 9:37 am

Unfortunate apartment name

Post by David Newton »

We've got a somewhat tragic example of a name of place with a disaster that is extraordinarily unfortunate in English.

There's been a high rise tower fire in Hong Kong that has killed 13 people in the district of Tai Po. The unfortunate part is the name of the apartment complex that the fire took place in: Wang Fuk!
Nik_SpeakerToCats
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Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2022 10:56 am

Re: Unfortunate apartment name

Post by Nik_SpeakerToCats »

IIRC, those tower blocks were webbed in scaffolding.
Bamboo scaffolding.
Bamboo scaffolding that had *not* been pressure-impregnated with fire-retardant...
{ Weep... }
If you cannot see the wood for the trees, deploy LIDAR.
David Newton
Posts: 1523
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 9:37 am

Re: Unfortunate apartment name

Post by David Newton »

This has got hugely, hugely worse than first thought.

There are SIX towers on fire AT THE SAME TIME!!! If there were people in those buildings (and there's every indication that there were) then this is going to be Grenfell multiple times over.
pengolod_sc
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Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 12:07 pm

Re: Unfortunate apartment name

Post by pengolod_sc »

South China Morning Post says the death toll has reached 75 by now, 70 in hospital, and many missing - one article spoke of 279 missing people. There are also mentions of the contractor having prior safety violations.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/soc ... n-launched
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jemhouston
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2022 12:38 am

Re: Unfortunate apartment name

Post by jemhouston »

pengolod_sc wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 3:17 pm South China Morning Post says the death toll has reached 75 by now, 70 in hospital, and many missing - one article spoke of 279 missing people. There are also mentions of the contractor having prior safety violations.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/soc ... n-launched
What's the Chinese version of a Come to Jesus meeting.

Does PRC have the death penalty for death due to negligence?
Paul Nuttall
Posts: 453
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 5:19 pm

Re: Unfortunate apartment name

Post by Paul Nuttall »

jemhouston wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 3:57 pm
pengolod_sc wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 3:17 pm South China Morning Post says the death toll has reached 75 by now, 70 in hospital, and many missing - one article spoke of 279 missing people. There are also mentions of the contractor having prior safety violations.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/soc ... n-launched
What's the Chinese version of a Come to Jesus meeting.

Does PRC have the death penalty for death due to negligence?
Organ donation.
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Sukhoiman
Posts: 962
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2022 5:09 am

Re: Unfortunate apartment name

Post by Sukhoiman »

jemhouston wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 3:57 pm
pengolod_sc wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 3:17 pm South China Morning Post says the death toll has reached 75 by now, 70 in hospital, and many missing - one article spoke of 279 missing people. There are also mentions of the contractor having prior safety violations.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/soc ... n-launched
What's the Chinese version of a Come to Jesus meeting.

Does PRC have the death penalty for death due to negligence?
HK criminal law would apply.

Different court system to PRC (part of the agreement in handover).

HK abolished the death penalty a few years before the handover.
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