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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet fire safety regulations.

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

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. That is exactly why we must act seriously to guarantee all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the investigation could last three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have stated they did not hear a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department discovered that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was among a gathering calling for an independent inquiry into the blaze. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

A pair of additional persons, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by authorities, according to press accounts.

Global Response

The rights group and The monitoring body have both criticised the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the local government to openly examine the reasons of the devastating fire...as opposed to suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, based on a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be older than 65 years old. A number have lived in the public housing complex since its construction.

The city's second-deadliest fire on in history killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people lost their lives.