🔗 Share this article

The city's chief executive, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to probe the origins of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight apartment buildings at the estate—that was in the midst of major refurbishment—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been detained on suspicion of suspected manslaughter, among them the directors of a construction company.

"It is a terrible tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. We have uncovered shortcomings in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—advancing with speed both vertically and across the separate towers—was finally put out by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it ignited, and required in excess of 2,000 firefighters to subdue.

The same day, authorities started accessing the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the probe could take several weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they did not hear a emergency siren when the blaze erupted. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that detection devices in every tower were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has put on hold renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a 24-year-old man on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a group petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An online petition amassed in excess of 10,000 signatures in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, comprising a past council member, were also detained by authorities, as reported by local media reports.

International Reaction

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the origins of the tragic incident...as opposed to muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," Amnesty International said.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was completed in the early 1980s and had supplied 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 inhabitants, per a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years old. Several have resided in the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history took 176 lives in the mid-20th century and was caused by a detonation at street level at a commercial building. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 people lost their lives.