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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which was subject to significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, among them the senior figures of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the probe could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Multiple inhabitants have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire erupted. Hong Kong's fire service determined that alarms in each building were operating inadequately.

The city's construction authority has temporarily suspended works on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a young man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was among a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal gathered more than 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both denounced the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the causes of the devastating fire...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was completed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, based on a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are thought to be at least 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees perished.