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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

At least 13 people have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could last three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire erupted. Local firefighters discovered that alarms in every tower were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a collective demanding an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal collected more than 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by authorities, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

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

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in 1918, when more than 600 attendees died.