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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been taken into custody over suspected manslaughter, including the senior figures of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it ignited, and required more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could require approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have stated they failed to hear a fire alarm when the fire started. The city's fire department found that warning systems in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An online petition gathered over 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its information was removed.

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

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, based on a 2021 government census.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are estimated to be over 65 years of age. Several have lived in the government-supported development since its construction.

The city's second-deadliest fire on in history killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees lost their lives.