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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an autonomous task force to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 people.

A Fire of Historic Proportions

This past Wednesday, most of the tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court—that was in the midst of significant upgrades—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that safety scaffolding mesh surrounding the buildings fell short of requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 individuals have been taken into custody over 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. Hence we must take decisive action to guarantee all these loopholes are eliminated," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The fire—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was finally put out by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it started, and took over 2,000 emergency responders to contain.

That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the investigation could require approximately a month.

Shortcomings Uncovered

A number of occupants have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire started. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that detection devices in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

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

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a individual on suspicion of sedition on the weekend. He was among a gathering petitioning for an autonomous investigation into the tragedy. An internet-based appeal collected in excess of 10,000 supporters in under 24 hours before its contents were wiped.

A pair of additional persons, including a past council member, were also taken in by officers, as reported by press accounts.

International Reaction

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

"Now is the time for the city's officials to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in 1983 and had provided close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 residents, per a population count.

Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be over 65 years old. Several have been occupants of the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

The city's second-worst blaze on file killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was caused by a blast on the lower level at a five-storey warehouse. The deadliest was at a sporting venue in 1918, when over 600 individuals died.