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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

At least 13 individuals have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these loopholes are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was finally put out by Friday morning, approximately two days after it ignited, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a ex-local representative, were also detained by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both criticised the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are estimated to be over 65 years old. Some have lived in the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 individuals died.