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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these loopholes are addressed," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it ignited, and necessitated more than 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could require several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a smoke detector when the fire erupted. Local firefighters determined that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was among a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, 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 criticised the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 inhabitants, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be older than 65 years old. Several have resided in the government-supported development from its inception.

The city's second-most fatal incident on file killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when over 600 individuals died.