Hong Kong Leader Orders Investigation into Deadly Blaze that Claimed Lives of 151

Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to probe the origins of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that protective netting installed on the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to ensure that all these deficiencies are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, approximately two days after it ignited, and necessitated over 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have said they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters discovered that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition collected more than 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the local government to transparently investigate the causes of the tragic incident...instead of muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are thought to be over 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees died.