The city's Leader Directs Investigation into Deadly Blaze that Took 151

The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the incident started. Hong Kong's fire service found that warning systems in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive amassed in excess of 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by authorities, per local media reports.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the causes of the devastating fire...as opposed to suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 inhabitants, per a population count.

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

The city's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees perished.