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The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that protective netting installed on the buildings did not comply with fire safety regulations.

At least 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the directors of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in different stages. That is exactly why we must respond rigorously to ensure that all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and across the separate towers—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, some 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

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

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. 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.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on allegations of sedition on Saturday. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An digital signature drive collected in excess of 10,000 supporters in a very short time before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by authorities, as reported by news outlets.

Global Response

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

"This is the occasion for the local government to openly examine the causes of the devastating fire...rather than suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in the early 1980s and had supplied close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, based on a population count.

Almost four in ten of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years of age. A number have resided in the public housing complex from its inception.

The city's second-most fatal incident on file claimed 176 lives in 1948 and was triggered by a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when more than 600 individuals lost their lives.