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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the tower blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

No fewer than 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, comprising the senior figures of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are plucked," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could take several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they did not hear a emergency siren when the fire started. Local firefighters found that warning systems in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was involved with a gathering demanding an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive gathered in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, among them a ex-local representative, were also detained by officers, according to local media reports.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to transparently investigate the causes of the catastrophic blaze...rather than suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be at least 65 years old. A number have lived in the public housing complex from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when more than 600 attendees perished.