Hong Kong authorities rushed on Thursday to remove mesh netting on all buildings undergoing renovation across the city after the material was blamed for fanning a blaze last week that has killed at least 159 people.

The government late on Wednesday ordered the immediate removal of scaffolding nets on all public and private residential buildings by Saturday, to “protect public safety and put residents and businesses’ minds at ease.”

The move comes as authorities investigate the cause of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, having pointed to the mesh for fuelling an inferno that engulfed seven high-rise apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court complex on Nov 26.

Renovation work across the financial hub will effectively grind to a standstill for an undefined period of time as inspectors verify the netting meets safety standards.

At a housing estate in Sha Tin, around 15 minutes drive from the Wang Fuk complex, workers began dismantling protective netting on Thursday morning.

C.K. Lau, an 82 year old retiree living at the Sha Tin housing estate, said removing the nets reduced the chance of a similar type of incident.