Growing anger as official focus on bamboo is seen as attempt by leaders to avoid being blamed

The inferno that engulfed Wang Fuk Court residential compound in Hong Kong was still burning last night, but questions were already being asked about what the deadliest fire in more than 70 years meant for Beijing's grip on power in the city.

- Amy Hawkins

As firefighters worked to bring the fire under control and make progress with rescue efforts, anger was already swelling among Hongkongers about the causes of the fire. The blaze also tapped into the social anxiety in Hong Kong around affordable housing, where sky-high property prices mean that many people live in tightly packed high-rise apartments that can become death traps when disaster strikes.

At a press conference yesterday, Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, said the government would set up a HK$300m (£29m) fund to help residents and that the city's development bureau had discussed replacing bamboo scaffolding with metal alternatives. He also said contractors across the Asian financial hub would be given seven days to submit documents proving they used fire retardant materials.

But some Hongkongers are angry about the focus that has been put on bamboo as a potential accelerant of the fire. Yesterday afternoon, much of the bamboo scaffolding remained standing, with the green mesh between the poles having been incinerated.