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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, the majority of the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting used around the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

At least 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to ensure that all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it ignited, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the investigation could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department found that warning systems in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended works on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on allegations of sedition on Saturday. He was involved with a group demanding an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition collected over 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, including a ex-local representative, were also questioned by authorities, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the devastating fire...instead of suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was completed in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, per a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when more than 600 individuals lost their lives.