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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these gaps are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took over 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that warning systems in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold works on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also taken in by officers, as reported by press accounts.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the local government to transparently investigate the reasons of the devastating fire...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had offered 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, per a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in 1918, when more than 600 individuals lost their lives.