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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that protective netting installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 people have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in various phases. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—which spread quickly both upwards and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and required over 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the fire started. The city's fire department determined that warning systems in every tower were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was among a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition gathered over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Two other people, including a past council member, were also questioned by authorities, per local media reports.

International Reaction

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

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, based on a 2021 government census.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are estimated to be older than 65 years old. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century 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 in excess of 600 people perished.