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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that protective netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the senior figures of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it ignited, and required in excess of 2,000 firefighters to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the investigation could require approximately a month.

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 discovered that detection devices in every tower were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, officers took into custody a individual on charges related to incitement on Saturday. He was involved with a group demanding an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition amassed more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its information was removed.

Another two individuals, among them a past council member, were also detained by officers, per news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for approximately 4,600 occupants, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the public housing complex since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on file claimed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 people lost their lives.