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Hong Kong'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, the majority of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, among them the executives of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these gaps are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department found that warning systems in every tower were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold works on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was among a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

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

Global Response

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, based on a population count.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record took 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 people died.