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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, most of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, comprising the executives of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, approximately two days after it began, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the probe could require several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the incident broke out. Hong Kong's fire service determined that detection devices in each building were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold construction activities on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, officers took into custody a individual on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a group demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive amassed in excess of 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, among them a former district councillor, were also taken in by police, per news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had offered 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years of age. Several have lived in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on record killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 people lost their lives.