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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that killed at least 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

Last Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—which had been undergoing significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Investigators have since found that construction site netting surrounding the buildings fell short of flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 people have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, among them the directors of a construction company.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a big fire. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are eliminated," remarked Mr. Lee.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—advancing with speed both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by Friday morning, approximately two days after it began, and took in excess of 2,000 firefighters to contain.

On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. The government indicates the inquiry could last approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they did not hear a smoke detector when the fire broke out. Local firefighters determined that detection devices in each building were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has halted for now works on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, officers took into custody a individual on charges related to sedition on the weekend. He was among a group calling for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal gathered more than 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, including a past council member, were also detained by authorities, per press accounts.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and The monitoring body have both criticised the said apprehensions.

"The moment has come for the city's officials to thoroughly and publicly probe the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to silencing those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

The housing estate was built in 1983 and had offered close to 2,000 units for around 4,600 residents, according to a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are estimated to be over 65 years of age. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on file took 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when over 600 attendees lost their lives.