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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, comprising the executives of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it ignited, and required over 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the inquiry could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have stated they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the fire erupted. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended construction activities on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was part of a group petitioning for an separate review into the blaze. An digital signature drive gathered over 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Two other people, among them a past council member, were also taken in by authorities, per news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and The monitoring body have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the causes of the tragic incident...rather than suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its residents are believed to be at least 65 years of age. A number have lived in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in 1918, when over 600 individuals perished.