A massive fire that engulfed a 30-storey building under construction in Kowloon yesterday has once again put Hong Kong’s centuries-old bamboo scaffolding tradition under global scrutiny. Viral videos showing entire towers of bamboo poles wrapped in green netting collapsing in flames within minutes shocked millions worldwide. Firefighters battled for over 12 hours as burning bamboo rained down on Nathan Road, one of the city’s busiest streets. While the exact cause remains under investigation, experts unanimously point to one terrifying fact: bamboo scaffolding is extremely flammable and acts like kindling when ignited. Despite steel and aluminum alternatives being widely available, over 90% of Hong Kong’s construction sites still rely on bamboo scaffolding erected by highly skilled workers known as “spider men”. The reason? Bamboo is lighter, cheaper, more flexible, and surprisingly strong, capable of bearing loads up to 3 times its weight. A single bamboo pole costs just HK$20 compared to HK$300+ for steel. Master scaffolders can build complex structures in hours that would take days with metal. But yesterday’s inferno proved the deadly tradeoff. Once fire reaches the synthetic green netting (mandatory for debris protection), temperatures exceed 800°C in seconds, turning the entire structure into a giant torch. Hong Kong recorded 47 scaffolding-related fires between 2020-2024, with 9 fatalities. Construction unions demand immediate ban on flammable netting and mandatory fire-retardant treatment, but builders resist due to 40% cost increase. Singapore already phased out untreated bamboo in 2018 after similar incidents. As Hong Kong races to build 300,000 new homes by 2030, will tradition continue to cost lives? The Nathan Road blaze has reignited urgent calls for reform before the next tower becomes a death trap.
Shocking Hong Kong inferno exposes deadly truth about bamboo scaffolding still used on 90% of skyscrapers! Is the iconic green netting a ticking firebomb? Watch viral video & discover hidden dangers that killed workers yesterday.
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BBC Asia, South China Morning Post, CNN Travel, Construction Dive, ArchDaily
