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The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—which was subject to extensive renovations—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, comprising the senior figures of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to guarantee all these gaps are addressed," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the investigation could last three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have stated they failed to hear a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department found that warning systems in every tower were not working effectively.

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

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was part of a collective demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An internet-based appeal amassed more than 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a ex-local representative, were also taken in by officers, as reported by press accounts.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the local government to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...rather than suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, according to a population count.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be over 65 years of age. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on file took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 attendees died.