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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

At least 13 people have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, comprising the directors of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it ignited, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the investigation could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have stated they did not hear a smoke detector when the incident erupted. Hong Kong's fire service determined that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was among a gathering calling for an separate review into the fire. An digital signature drive collected in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...rather than muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

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

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 individuals died.