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The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it started, and required in excess of 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the probe could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters found that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now construction activities on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a collective demanding an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal gathered in excess of 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a ex-local representative, were also detained by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the devastating fire...as opposed to muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 occupants, according to a population count.

Almost four in ten of its residents are believed to be at least 65 years old. A number have resided in the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when more than 600 attendees died.