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The city's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. A probe subsequently revealed that safety scaffolding mesh installed on the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, among them the directors of a construction company.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to guarantee all these loopholes are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it began, and necessitated over 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to secure proof. Officials state the investigation could require several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have stated they failed to hear a smoke detector when the blaze erupted. The city's fire department determined that detection devices in every tower were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold construction activities on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Additionally, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on suspicion of subversion on Saturday. He was among a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the blaze. An online petition amassed over 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

Two other people, among them a past council member, were also taken in by authorities, according to news outlets.

International Reaction

The rights group and The monitoring body have both condemned the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the local government to transparently investigate the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who pose valid inquiries," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 inhabitants, based on a 2021 government census.

Almost four in ten of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the government-supported development since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on file killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 attendees lost their lives.