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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, among them the senior figures of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it ignited, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they did not hear a smoke detector when the incident started. The city's fire department determined that alarms in every tower were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on charges related to incitement on the weekend. He was part of a collective demanding an separate review into the blaze. An digital signature drive collected more than 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a ex-local representative, were also questioned by police, according to press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both criticised the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 inhabitants, per a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be over 65 years of age. A number have lived in the government-supported development since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees died.