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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it started, and required in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could require three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have stated they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze started. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that alarms in every tower were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has put on hold works on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a individual on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive amassed over 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, including a former district councillor, were also questioned by authorities, according to news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the tragic incident...rather than suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years of age. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on file took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people lost their lives.