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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 catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that protective netting surrounding the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

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

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in different stages. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—that propagated rapidly both vertically and between the blocks—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the probe could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. Local firefighters found that warning systems in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, police reportedly detained a young man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was part of a group calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a ex-local representative, were also detained by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had provided close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 inhabitants, according to a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are estimated to be over 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on record claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees lost their lives.