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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting used around the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the executives of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, approximately two days after it ignited, and necessitated over 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could last three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have stated they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the fire erupted. The city's fire department determined that detection devices in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an separate review into the blaze. An digital signature drive gathered over 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its page was taken down.

Two other people, comprising a past council member, were also taken in by authorities, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to openly examine the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. A number have resided in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 individuals perished.