🔗 Share this article The city's Chief Executive Orders Investigation into Tragic Inferno that Took 151 The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 individuals. Images shows velocity of blaze propagation in Hong Kong high-rise. A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale On Wednesday last week, most of the apartment buildings at the housing complex—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations. A minimum of 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a construction company. "It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader. Investigation and Aftermath The blaze—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control. That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Authorities say the inquiry could require approximately a month. The fire is the most fatal the city has witnessed in more than 70 decades. Systemic Failures Identified Several residents have reported they did not hear a fire alarm when the incident started. Local firefighters determined that warning systems in each building were malfunctioning. Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on numerous private sites. Calls for Inquiry and Arrests In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was involved with a collective demanding an independent inquiry into the blaze. An internet-based appeal collected more than 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed. Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, per local media reports. Chief executive John Lee announced that the committee would be led by a judicial officer. Global Response The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the alleged detentions. "This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the devastating fire...instead of silencing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group. Historical Context and Demographics The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 occupants, according to a population count. Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be older than 65 years of age. Several have resided in the government-supported development since it was built. Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record claimed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 individuals perished.