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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

At least 13 individuals have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it ignited, and necessitated more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a fire alarm when the incident started. The city's fire department determined that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was among a gathering calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition collected more than 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also questioned by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the local government to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Several have lived in the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 individuals perished.