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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to probe the origins of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, the majority of the tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, comprising the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. Hence we must take decisive action to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and took in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have reported they failed to hear a smoke detector when the fire broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in each building were not working effectively.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition gathered over 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a past council member, were also detained by police, according to press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the devastating fire...rather than suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had provided nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 occupants, according to a population count.

Almost four in ten of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 individuals died.