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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

At least 13 individuals have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the senior figures of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the probe could last three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a fire alarm when the incident broke out. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering demanding an separate review into the blaze. An digital signature drive gathered over 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by police, as reported by local media reports.

Global Response

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

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to openly examine the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 occupants, according to a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the government-supported development since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when over 600 people lost their lives.