Lawmakers call for tighter rules on fire safety
Lawmakers on Sunday said the deadly blaze at a building in Jordan demonstrates a pressing need for tighter regulations on fire safety and guest houses.  Five people died in the blaze at New Lucky House on Nathan Road on Wednesday. The building is home to hundreds of residents as well as 35 registered guest houses. Speaking to reporters after attending a radio programme, Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien said the building's owners had failed to comply with fire safety orders issued 16 years ago.  "They [authorities] issued these fire orders, prevention, upgrading orders 16 years ago to this building. Today, they still haven't done anything," Tien said, adding that there’s a need for reform.   "It takes two to tango. The legislation needs to be really strengthened and toughened up, and then you have to have the enforcement. And the line, where they draw the line as to what constitutes reasonable explanation, as far as I'm concerned, there should be very few reasonable explanations. Having no money, is that a reasonable explanation? We have to figure out." Fellow lawmaker Tony Tse from the Architectural, Surveying, Planning, and Landscape sector, also urged the government to update fire safety rules, saying the current ones are out of date.  "About the rules and regulations, which to me, you know, to quite an extent are outdated," he said.  "So we have to amend these ordinances as soon as possible, otherwise people may not pay too much attention." Meanwhile, DAB lawmaker Vincent Cheng said the authorities should cap the number of guest houses permitted in a building to reduce fire safety risks.