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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—which was subject to significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

At least 13 people have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to make certain all these gaps are eliminated," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it started, and took over 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could last several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service determined that alarms in every tower were operating inadequately.

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

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An internet-based appeal gathered over 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to transparently investigate the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 occupants, based on a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are believed to be over 65 years of age. Several have resided in the government-supported development since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file claimed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people perished.