🔗 Share this article The city's Leader Directs Probe into Tragic Inferno that Killed 151 The city's leader, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an independent committee to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 151 residents. Footage depicts rapid pace of flames advancing in the city's tower block. A Fire of Historic Proportions Last Wednesday, most of the apartment buildings at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing major refurbishment—were engulfed by fire. A probe subsequently revealed that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance. A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a building firm. "It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. We have uncovered shortcomings in different stages. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," remarked Mr. Lee. Investigation and Aftermath The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and from building to building—was only fully doused by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it started, and necessitated over 2,000 emergency responders to bring under control. On that day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the investigation could take approximately a month. This blaze is the worst the region has witnessed in exceeding 70 decades. Shortcomings Uncovered Several residents have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze broke out. The city's fire department found that alarms in every tower were not working effectively. Hong Kong's buildings department has temporarily suspended renovation projects on numerous private sites. Calls for Inquiry and Arrests Additionally, officers took into custody a young man on charges related to incitement on the weekend. He was involved with a gathering petitioning for an separate review into the fire. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its information was removed. Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also questioned by officers, per local media reports. The city's leader John Lee said that the committee would be headed by a judicial officer. Global Response Amnesty International and The monitoring body have both denounced the alleged detentions. "The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the causes of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group. Background and Resident Profile The housing estate was built in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for some 4,600 residents, according to a population count. Almost four in ten of its occupants are thought to be older than 65 years old. Several have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception. Hong Kong's second-worst blaze on file killed 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when more than 600 people lost their lives.