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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting installed on the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, among them the executives of a contractor.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these loopholes are addressed," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—advancing with speed both upwards and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, approximately two days after it started, and took more than 2,000 fire service personnel to bring under control.

On that day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the probe could require three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department determined that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.

The city's construction authority has halted for now construction activities on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Additionally, officers took into custody a individual on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition amassed in excess of 10,000 supporters in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also questioned by officers, as reported by news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the city's officials to openly examine the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was built in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 occupants, according to a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years old. Some have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 people in 1948 and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 people perished.