Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 people.
Last Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the housing complex—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—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 suspects have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, including the executives of a contractor.
"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. Hence we must act seriously to guarantee all these deficiencies are addressed," remarked Mr. Lee.
The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and required in excess of 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.
On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the inquiry could require three to four weeks.
A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a emergency siren when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that warning systems in every tower were malfunctioning.
Hong Kong's buildings department has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects.
Separately, police reportedly detained a young man on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was involved with a collective demanding an independent inquiry into the blaze. An digital signature drive amassed over 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.
Two other people, among them a past council member, were also detained by police, according to press accounts.
The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions.
"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the reasons of the tragic incident...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.
The housing estate was built in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 occupants, based on a recent official survey.
Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the government-supported development from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 attendees lost their lives.
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