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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

At least 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it ignited, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the investigation could last several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters discovered that detection devices in every tower were not working effectively.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to sedition on Saturday. He was involved with a group petitioning for an separate review into the tragedy. An online petition amassed over 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also taken in by authorities, according to press accounts.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the local government to transparently investigate the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years of age. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.