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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for suspected manslaughter, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to make certain all these gaps are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it started, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the investigation could last three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service determined that warning systems in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now construction activities on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a individual on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a collective petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Two other people, comprising a past council member, were also taken in by police, as reported by press accounts.

Global Response

Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both criticised the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in 1983 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 inhabitants are thought to be at least 65 years old. Several have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history claimed 176 people in 1948 and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.