Opinion | Hong Kong should punish all parties involved in illegal building works for starters

Typhoon Saola, which swept through Hong Kong earlier this month, required the hoisting of the No 10 storm signal for the first time in five years. It was followed soon after by a brief period of very heavy rain. The two together revealed drainage problems in some areas and also a new dimension of the unauthorised building works issue.

Initially, four luxury houses in Redhill Peninsula – where a landslide occurred, creating a risk to public safety – were shown to have illegal structures. Suspected illegal structures were found in another 70 out of 85 seaside homes inspected on Friday.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said the government would launch a crackdown that would include detached houses in other areas. Those on slopes in particular would be targeted. Linn hoped the action would demonstrate to the community a determination to enforce the law.

The statement would have been more reassuring had it not come just a few weeks after disturbing reports about the safety of older buildings in urban areas. A spate of incidents of concrete falling off high rises and injuring people and damaging vehicles below, including two in three days from the same building in Mong Kok, had shone a spotlight on this issue.