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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight residential blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that protective netting surrounding the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, comprising the executives of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. Hence we must act seriously to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it ignited, and necessitated more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could take three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Local firefighters discovered that detection devices in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

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

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on suspicion of incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive amassed in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, as reported by news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the local government to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

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

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be over 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people perished.