The city's Leader Orders Investigation into Deadly Inferno that Killed 151

Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 firefighters to contain.

That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the probe could require several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze started. The city's fire department discovered that alarms in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

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

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of incitement on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition gathered more than 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a former district councillor, were also detained by officers, per local media reports.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both condemned the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the local government to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 residents, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be older than 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees perished.