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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has ordered the creation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a tragic inferno that killed at least 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

On Wednesday last week, most of the tower blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to extensive renovations—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings failed to meet requirements for fire resistance.

A minimum of 13 suspects have been taken into custody over suspected manslaughter, including the directors of a contractor.

"This is indeed a tragedy, the fire was immense. Yes, we need reform. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these loopholes are plucked," he said.

Investigation and Aftermath

The blaze—that propagated rapidly both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, some 40 hours after it began, and took more than 2,000 emergency responders to subdue.

That very day, officers commenced entry into the buildings to gather evidence. The government indicates the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Shortcomings Uncovered

Several residents have said they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the fire started. Local firefighters found that detection devices in all eight blocks were operating inadequately.

Hong Kong's buildings department has halted for now renovation projects on three dozen private developments.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

In a related development, officers took into custody a young man on allegations of sedition on the weekend. He was part of a collective demanding an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition collected over 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its information was removed.

Two other people, including a past council member, were also taken in by police, according to press accounts.

Global Response

The human rights organization and Another watchdog have both denounced the said apprehensions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to openly examine the origins of the tragic incident...instead of muzzling those who ask legitimate questions," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The residential complex was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered close to 2,000 units for some 4,600 inhabitants, based on a population count.

Approximately 40 percent of its residents are thought to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

The city's second-deadliest fire on record took 176 people in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a multi-story storage facility. The worst was at a sporting venue in the early 1900s, when in excess of 600 attendees perished.