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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that protective netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, among them the executives of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in different stages. Hence we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these loopholes are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could last several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have stated they failed to hear a smoke detector when the fire erupted. The city's fire department found that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now construction activities on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on charges related to sedition on the weekend. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also detained by officers, according to news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, according to a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 people died.