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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the senior figures of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in different stages. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and required over 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could take approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire broke out. The city's fire department determined that warning systems in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An internet-based appeal collected over 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also taken in by police, according to press accounts.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Another watchdog have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"The moment has come for the local government to transparently investigate the causes of the tragic incident...instead of muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 inhabitants, per a population count.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be over 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 attendees lost their lives.