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Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

On Wednesday last week, seven of eight tower blocks at the estate—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over potential negligent homicide, among them the executives of a building firm.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in multiple areas. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these gaps are eliminated," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The fire—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was finally put out by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and required more than 2,000 fire service personnel to subdue.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could take three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a fire alarm when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department determined that alarms in every tower were not working effectively.

The city's construction authority has halted for now works on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on allegations of incitement on the weekend. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, including a past council member, were also questioned by officers, according to news outlets.

Global Response

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

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the causes of the tragic incident...as opposed to silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

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

Almost four in ten of its residents are thought to be over 65 years of age. A number have been occupants of the public housing complex since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history claimed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was triggered by a ground-floor explosion at a multi-story storage facility. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in 1918, when in excess of 600 people lost their lives.