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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that protective netting used around the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, comprising the senior figures of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. Hence we must act seriously to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and took over 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

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

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended renovation projects on 30 private projects.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was among a gathering calling for an separate review into the fire. An digital signature drive gathered more than 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, among them a ex-local representative, were also taken in by police, per local media reports.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both denounced the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the local government to transparently investigate the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

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

Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be over 65 years of age. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

The city's second-most fatal incident on in history claimed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in the early 1900s, when over 600 attendees died.