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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, among them the senior figures of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have reported they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the incident started. Local firefighters found that warning systems in every tower were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was among a collective calling for an independent inquiry into the fire. An digital signature drive amassed more than 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, per local media reports.

International Reaction

The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the local government to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had provided nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are thought to be at least 65 years old. A number have lived in the public housing complex since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file claimed 176 people in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals lost their lives.