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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the estate—which was subject to major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting installed on the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

At least 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it began, and took in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the inquiry could require several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze started. The city's fire department determined that warning systems in each building were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was part of a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition amassed more than 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also detained by police, according to news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both condemned the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...rather than muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 occupants, according to a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. Some have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on record claimed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 individuals lost their lives.