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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a tragic inferno that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, the majority of the tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that safety scaffolding mesh used around the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a big fire. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. Hence we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are eliminated," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it began, and took over 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. Authorities say the investigation could last several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the incident erupted. The city's fire department found that alarms in every tower were malfunctioning.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a individual on charges related to subversion on the weekend. He was among a gathering demanding an autonomous investigation into the fire. An online petition gathered over 10,000 signatures in under 24 hours before its page was taken down.

Two other people, among them a former district councillor, were also detained by authorities, according to news outlets.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the reasons of the devastating fire...rather than silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 residents, per a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are estimated to be over 65 years of age. Several have lived in the government-supported development from its inception.

Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on record killed 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees perished.