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

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

At least 13 individuals have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the executives of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it began, and necessitated more than 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

On that day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could take approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze started. Local firefighters determined that alarms in every tower were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on allegations of sedition on Saturday. He was part of a group demanding an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition collected in excess of 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, including a former district councillor, were also questioned by police, according to press accounts.

International Reaction

The rights group and The monitoring body have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are believed to be over 65 years of age. Several have resided in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

The city's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 individuals lost their lives.