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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting installed on the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

At least 13 people have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these gaps are addressed," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—advancing with speed both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the investigation could last several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have said they did not hear a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters found that alarms in each building were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, officers took into custody a individual on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also questioned by police, per news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, per a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be at least 65 years old. Some have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on file claimed 176 people in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people perished.