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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of potential negligent homicide, comprising the directors of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are addressed," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, approximately two days after it began, and necessitated more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the probe could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have reported they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Local firefighters determined that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was among a collective calling for an separate review into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, including a ex-local representative, were also questioned by police, per press accounts.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the local government to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had offered 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a population count.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. Several have lived in the government-supported development since its construction.

The city's second-most fatal incident on in history claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 people lost their lives.