The city's Leader Orders Investigation into Deadly Blaze that Took 151

The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, among them the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by the end of the week, approximately two days after it began, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have reported they failed to hear a fire alarm when the incident erupted. The city's fire department determined that warning systems in every tower were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on charges related to sedition on the weekend. He was part of a group demanding an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition collected over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...rather than muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, based on a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are thought to be over 65 years of age. Several have resided in the public housing complex since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 people lost their lives.