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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

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

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—which spread quickly both upwards and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and necessitated more than 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the inquiry could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze started. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in each building were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, police reportedly detained a individual on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its page was taken down.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by police, per local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be over 65 years old. A number have resided in the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-deadliest fire on record claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees perished.