After deadly Hong Kong fire, can new tech protect China’s high-rises from tragedy?
Drones and ultra-tall ladder trucks hold promise, but prevention is still best for avoiding repeat of Wang Fuk Court blaze, experts say
Since 2000, China has built almost 1,600 skyscrapers – 60 per cent of the global total – eclipsing the early 20th century high-rise boom in the United States.
Could battery fires be the Achilles’ heel of China’s electric vehicle industry?
A series of high-profile incidents has triggered a public debate about safety within the rapidly growing industry
Last month saw a number of high-profile incidents, including one on October 13 in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, where a Xiaomi EV burst into flames after a high-speed crash, killing the driver.
On October 23 in Shanghai, a Li Auto car suddenly burst into flames on a bumpy road, becoming fully engulfed within 10 seconds. The occupants escaped.
A week later in Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong district, firefighters had to put out a blaze after smoke emerged from a BYD car parked in an indoor garage.
Xiaomi, Li Auto and BYD have all been asked for comment.
Such incidents, which have affected almost all EV makers in the past, have prompted a debate about the safety of the batteries used in the vehicles, with some social media users saying they have been having second thoughts about buying the vehicles because of safety concerns.
