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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

At least 13 people have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—which spread quickly both upwards and from building to building—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

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

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have stated they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, officers took into custody a individual on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a collective calling for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition collected over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also questioned by police, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

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

"This is the occasion for the local government to openly examine the causes of the devastating fire...instead of muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 occupants, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be over 65 years old. Several have lived in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when more than 600 attendees perished.