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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that protective netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, among them the senior figures of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it began, and necessitated more than 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the inquiry could take several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have reported they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service determined that warning systems in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was among a group demanding an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition amassed over 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a ex-local representative, were also taken in by officers, as reported by local media reports.

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to openly examine the reasons of the devastating fire...rather than muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had offered 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 occupants, based on a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be older than 65 years of age. A number have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 people perished.