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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the estate—which was subject to significant upgrades—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting installed on the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.

At least 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these deficiencies are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the probe could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have stated they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire erupted. Local firefighters discovered that warning systems in every tower were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has halted for now renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on charges related to subversion on Saturday. He was among a collective calling for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition amassed over 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, including a past council member, were also detained by officers, per news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, according to a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in 1918, when in excess of 600 people perished.