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

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the housing complex—that was in the midst of extensive renovations—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 people have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, among them the directors of a contractor.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Changes are required. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and necessitated over 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. Officials state the investigation could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have stated they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the fire erupted. Hong Kong's fire service found that detection devices in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now works on 30 private projects.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, police reportedly detained a individual on charges related to sedition on the weekend. He was part of a group calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive amassed in excess of 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, among them a past council member, were also detained by authorities, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of silencing those who ask legitimate questions," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 inhabitants, based on a recent official survey.

Nearly 40% of its occupants are estimated to be over 65 years old. Several have lived in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people perished.