🔗 Share this article Hong Kong Chief Executive Directs Investigation into Fatal Fire that Took 151 The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 individuals. Images depicts speed of fire spread in Hong Kong tower block. A Fire of Historic Proportions On Wednesday last week, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting installed on the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations. No fewer than 13 people have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a construction company. "This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," he said. The Probe and Its Consequences The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it ignited, and took in excess of 2,000 emergency responders to subdue. That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could take approximately a month. The fire is the most fatal the metropolis has witnessed in more than 70 years. Shortcomings Uncovered Multiple inhabitants have reported they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department determined that alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively. Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended works on three dozen private developments. Demands for Probe and Detentions Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on suspicion of subversion on the weekend. He was part of a group calling for an separate review into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its page was taken down. A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also questioned by officers, according to press accounts. The city's leader John Lee announced that the task force would be headed by a member of the judiciary. Global Response The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the alleged detentions. "This is the occasion for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the tragic incident...rather than silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said. Background and Resident Profile Wang Fuk Court was built in the early 1980s and had offered 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 occupants, according to a recent official survey. Almost four in ten of its occupants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. A number have lived in the government-supported development since it was built. Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was the result of a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 individuals perished.