The city's Chief Executive Directs Investigation into Fatal Blaze that Took 151

Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

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

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. Hence we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these gaps are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it ignited, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire erupted. Local firefighters found that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was among a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive collected more than 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 questioned by police, per press accounts.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, based on a population count.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on record took 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.