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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the senior figures of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these deficiencies are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the incident erupted. Local firefighters determined that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was part of a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An internet-based appeal collected more than 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, among them a former district councillor, were also detained by police, per press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was completed in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 residents, based on a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years old. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 people in 1948 and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 individuals died.