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The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, among them the executives of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it began, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could require several weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have reported they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the incident broke out. The city's fire department found that detection devices in each building were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a individual on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was part of a collective petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An digital signature drive collected over 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, among them a ex-local representative, were also detained by police, as reported by local media reports.

Global Response

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the reported arrests.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was constructed in the early 1980s and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, according to a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are believed to be at least 65 years of age. A number have resided in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when over 600 individuals perished.