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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the residential blocks at the estate—which was subject to significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting surrounding the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these gaps are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—advancing with speed both vertically and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the incident erupted. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in each building were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was involved with a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An internet-based appeal gathered in excess of 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, including a former district councillor, were also detained by officers, per local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both criticised the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was completed in the early 1980s and had offered 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be older than 65 years old. Some have lived in the government-supported development from its inception.

The city's second-most fatal incident on file claimed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.