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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. Hence we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these loopholes are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the probe could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have reported they failed to hear a emergency siren when the incident broke out. Local firefighters found that warning systems in each building were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has halted for now works on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a young man on suspicion of incitement on Saturday. He was among a collective demanding an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive amassed in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by police, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

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

"Now is the time for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, per a population count.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are thought to be over 65 years old. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people perished.