The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.
A Fire of Historic Proportions
Last Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.
A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the directors of a construction company.
"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these gaps are eliminated," he said.
The Probe and Its Consequences
The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, approximately two days after it started, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control.
On that day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the probe could require three to four weeks.
Systemic Failures Identified
Several residents have stated they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze started. Local firefighters discovered that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.
The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on numerous private sites.
Demands for Probe and Detentions
In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on Saturday. He was involved with a group calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition collected in excess of 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its information was removed.
Another two individuals, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, according to local media reports.
International Reaction
The rights group and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.
"Now is the time for the local government to openly examine the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.
Historical Context and Demographics
The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 residents, according to a population count.
Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be over 65 years of age. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 people died.
