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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 people have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, comprising the directors of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. Hence we must act seriously to guarantee all these loopholes are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it ignited, and required over 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the probe could last approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have stated they failed to hear a emergency siren when the fire started. Local firefighters determined that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a group calling for an independent inquiry into the fire. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

Two other people, comprising a past council member, were also taken in by officers, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, based on a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are thought to be over 65 years of age. A number have lived in the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees perished.