🔗 Share this article The city's Chief Executive Orders Probe into Fatal Inferno that Killed 151 The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents. Video depicts speed of blaze propagation in the city's residential tower. A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale This past Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations. No fewer than 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, comprising the directors of a construction company. "Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," he said. The Probe and Its Consequences The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and took more than 2,000 fire service personnel to contain. The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the inquiry could take several weeks. The fire is the deadliest the region has witnessed in more than 70 decades. Shortcomings Uncovered A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in every tower were not working effectively. The city's construction authority has put on hold renovation projects on numerous private sites. Demands for Probe and Detentions In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was among a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An internet-based appeal amassed over 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped. A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also detained by authorities, according to local media reports. The city's leader John Lee stated that the committee would be led by a judge. International Reaction The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the alleged detentions. "Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the causes of the devastating fire...as opposed to silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said. Background and Resident Profile Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, per a population count. Nearly 40% of its occupants are thought to be over 65 years old. Several have resided in the government-supported development since it was built. 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 worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when over 600 attendees died.