🔗 Share this article Hong Kong Chief Executive Orders Probe into Tragic Fire that Took 151 Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents. Images shows speed of blaze propagation in Hong Kong tower block. A Fire of Historic Proportions On Wednesday last week, most of the residential blocks at the estate—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards. No fewer than 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a contractor. "This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in various phases. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these deficiencies are plucked," he said. Investigation and Aftermath The blaze—advancing with speed both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it began, and required more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain. The same day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could last three to four weeks. This blaze is the deadliest the city has seen in exceeding 70 years. Systemic Failures Identified Multiple inhabitants have stated they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department found that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning. The relevant regulatory body has put on hold works on 30 private projects. Demands for Probe and Detentions Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was among a group petitioning for an separate review into the blaze. An digital signature drive amassed over 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its information was removed. A pair of additional persons, including a former district councillor, were also questioned by police, as reported by press accounts. Hong Kong's top official John Lee said that the inquiry would be chaired by a judge. International Reaction The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions. "Now is the time for the local government to thoroughly and publicly probe the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said. Historical Context and Demographics The residential complex was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 inhabitants, based on a population count. Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have been occupants of the public housing complex since its construction. The city's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 lives 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 the early 1900s, when more than 600 attendees perished.