Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.
On Wednesday last week, most of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to significant upgrades—were consumed by a blaze. Investigators have since found that construction site netting used around the buildings fell short of fire safety regulations.
A minimum of 13 suspects have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, comprising the senior figures of a building firm.
"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to guarantee all these deficiencies are eliminated," he said.
The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it began, and required more than 2,000 emergency responders to contain.
The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could last several weeks.
Several residents have said they failed to hear a fire alarm when the incident erupted. Local firefighters found that detection devices in each building were malfunctioning.
The city's construction authority has put on hold construction activities on 30 private projects.
Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was among a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in under 24 hours before its information was removed.
Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also questioned by authorities, per news outlets.
The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both criticised the reported arrests.
"The moment has come for the city's officials to openly examine the causes of the devastating fire...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.
Wang Fuk Court was constructed in 1983 and had supplied nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 inhabitants, according to a 2021 government census.
Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are believed to be over 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the government-supported development from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on record took 176 individuals in 1948 and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a local racetrack in 1918, when more than 600 people died.
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