🔗 Share this article The city's Chief Executive Directs Probe into Tragic Inferno that Took 151 Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 residents. Images shows velocity of blaze propagation in Hong Kong tower block. A Fire of Historic Proportions On Wednesday last week, most of the residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations. At least 13 people have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a building firm. "It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in different stages. Hence we must act seriously to ensure that all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader. The Probe and Its Consequences The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, approximately two days after it started, and necessitated in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue. The same day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the investigation could require three to four weeks. This blaze is the deadliest the region has witnessed in more than 70 decades. Systemic Failures Identified Multiple inhabitants have stated they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze erupted. Local firefighters found that alarms in all eight blocks were operating inadequately. Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold construction activities on three dozen private developments. Demands for Probe and Detentions Additionally, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a collective calling for an autonomous investigation into the fire. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its page was taken down. Two other people, comprising a past council member, were also detained by authorities, as reported by news outlets. Hong Kong's top official John Lee announced that the inquiry would be headed by a judicial officer. International Reaction Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions. "Now is the time for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group. Historical Context and Demographics The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, based on a recent official survey. Almost four in ten of its occupants are estimated to be over 65 years of age. A number have lived in the subsidised housing estate from its inception. Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.