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The city's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a devastating fire that took a minimum of 151 individuals.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—which had been undergoing extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting installed on the buildings failed to meet flame retardant standards.

No fewer than 13 people have been taken into custody over alleged culpable homicide, comprising the executives of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must respond rigorously to make certain all these deficiencies are addressed," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—which spread quickly both vertically and from building to building—was not completely extinguished by the end of the week, approximately two days after it began, and required more than 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the investigation could last approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Multiple inhabitants have said they failed to hear a smoke detector when the blaze erupted. Local firefighters found that warning systems in all eight blocks were malfunctioning.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, police reportedly detained a young man on allegations of subversion on the weekend. He was among a collective calling for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Another two individuals, among them a former district councillor, were also questioned by officers, per news outlets.

Global Response

The rights group and Another watchdog have both denounced the alleged detentions.

"This is the occasion for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the tragic incident...instead of silencing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had supplied 1,984 apartments for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Some have resided in the public housing complex since it was built.

Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was the result of a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The worst was at a sporting venue in 1918, when more than 600 attendees perished.