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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, seven of eight residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that protective netting installed on the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the senior figures of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and required more than 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

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

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. Local firefighters found that alarms in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An digital signature drive amassed in excess of 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, including a past council member, were also taken in by police, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the reported arrests.

"This is the occasion for the local government to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, according to a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are estimated to be older than 65 years old. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development from its inception.

The city's second-deadliest fire on record took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when more than 600 people perished.