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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a big fire. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and took over 2,000 firefighters to contain.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the inquiry could last several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have stated they did not hear a emergency siren when the blaze started. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in every tower were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was among a collective calling for an separate review into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal gathered in excess of 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Two other people, among them a past council member, were also detained by authorities, per news outlets.

International Reaction

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

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, per a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its residents are thought to be over 65 years of age. Some have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on in history took 176 individuals in 1948 and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 people lost their lives.