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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 individuals have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in various phases. Hence we must take decisive action to make certain all these gaps are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both upwards and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the probe could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire broke out. The city's fire department discovered that alarms in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down.

Two other people, among them a former district councillor, were also detained by officers, according to press accounts.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the origins of the devastating fire...rather than muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are thought to be older than 65 years of age. Several have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.

The city's second-deadliest fire on file claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people lost their lives.