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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 catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, comprising the directors of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to make certain all these loopholes are plucked," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.

That very day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could last three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the incident erupted. Local firefighters discovered that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was among a gathering calling for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also taken in by officers, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was completed in the early 1980s and had offered 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, according to a recent official survey.

Almost four in ten of its occupants are thought to be at least 65 years old. A number have lived in the government-supported development since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file took 176 people in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 individuals lost their lives.