🔗 Share this article The city's Chief Executive Directs Investigation into Deadly Blaze that Took 151 The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 residents. Footage depicts rapid pace of blaze propagation in Hong Kong tower block. A Fire of Historic Proportions On Wednesday last week, seven of eight residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings did not comply with requirements for fire resistance. No fewer than 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a construction company. "Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must act seriously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," stated the leader. The Probe and Its Consequences The fire—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and necessitated more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain. That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the probe could last three to four weeks. This blaze is the deadliest the region has experienced in exceeding 70 years. Systemic Failures Identified Several residents have stated they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the incident broke out. Hong Kong's fire service found that alarms in each building were malfunctioning. The relevant regulatory body has halted for now works on numerous private sites. Demands for Probe and Detentions In a related development, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was among a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition amassed over 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down. Two other people, comprising a former district councillor, were also taken in by officers, per local media reports. Chief executive John Lee stated that the committee would be led by a member of the judiciary. International Reaction The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the reported arrests. "The moment has come for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization. Background and Resident Profile Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had offered nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census. Nearly 40% of its occupants are thought to be older than 65 years of age. A number have resided in the public housing complex since it was built. Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file killed 176 people in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when more than 600 individuals perished.