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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting used around the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

No fewer than 13 individuals have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, among them the directors of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. That is exactly why we must act seriously to guarantee all these gaps are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it started, and required over 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the probe could last several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have reported they failed to hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal amassed over 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also detained by authorities, per local media reports.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was built in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 residents, per a population count.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are estimated to be older than 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in 1918, when more than 600 attendees lost their lives.