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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 people have been taken into custody over suspected manslaughter, among them the directors of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must take decisive action to ensure that all these gaps are plucked," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by the end of the week, approximately two days after it ignited, and necessitated more than 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the inquiry could require several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they did not hear a fire alarm when the incident erupted. Local firefighters determined that warning systems in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on Saturday. He was involved with a group demanding an separate review into the tragedy. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, among them a past council member, were also detained by authorities, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the local government to transparently investigate the origins of the tragic incident...instead of silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be over 65 years of age. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when more than 600 attendees lost their lives.