A major fire in Hong Kong became deadly because the building had a lot of fast burning foam materials.
Foam is commonly used in the manufacturing of sofas, mattresses & cushions. It is also soft & comfortable but it catches fire very quickly.
Once it starts burning it also produces strong heat & even thick black smoke within seconds. This smoke usually spreads through rooms fast & reduces visibility.
People often cannot see the exit or breathe properly. This also makes the escape very difficult.
In this incident experts have also found that the foam inside furniture worked like fuel.
It was majorly the foam in these materials that allowed the flames to grow bigger in a short time. The heat thus easily moved from one part of the building to another very quickly.
Firefighters have also said that by the time they reached the location the fire had already covered a large area. The burning foam has lately also released toxic gases which made the situation more dangerous.
These gases can cause unconsciousness in human body in just a few minutes.
Many buildings in Hong Kong are very old & crowded. They have narrow hallways & limited ventilation. When a fire starts in such buildings foam materials speed up the flames. This makes rescue operations harder.
People living there often do not know how risky foam products can be during a fire.
Experts also say that using safer materials and even the idea of following strict fire rules can also help to prevent such incidents.
They also suggest checking furniture labels choosing flame retardant products and keeping escape routes clear. They also advise the idea of regular fire drills so residents know what to do in an emergency.
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