Hong Kong's chief executive, John Lee, has mandated the establishment of an autonomous task force to probe the origins of a catastrophic blaze that claimed the lives of 151 individuals.
This past Wednesday, the majority of the apartment buildings at the estate—which was subject to significant upgrades—were engulfed by fire. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting installed on the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.
No fewer than 13 individuals have been arrested for potential negligent homicide, including the directors of a building firm.
"Yes, it is a tragedy, it is a major blaze. Reform is necessary. Yes, we have identified failures in various phases. That is exactly why we must take decisive action to guarantee all these gaps are eliminated," he said.
The blaze—that propagated rapidly both vertically and from building to building—was only fully doused by Friday morning, around 40 hours after it started, and necessitated more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.
The same day, police began entering the buildings to collect forensic material. Officials state the inquiry could last approximately a month.
A number of occupants have stated they failed to hear a emergency siren when the fire broke out. Local firefighters found that detection devices in each building were operating inadequately.
The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on numerous private sites.
In a related development, officers took into custody a 24-year-old man on allegations of incitement on Saturday. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An digital signature drive gathered in excess of 10,000 endorsements in less than a day before its contents were wiped.
Another two individuals, comprising a ex-local representative, were also taken in by police, according to news outlets.
The rights group and Another watchdog have both criticised the said apprehensions.
"The moment has come for the local government to openly examine the reasons of the catastrophic blaze...instead of muzzling those who raise appropriate concerns," remarked the group.
The residential complex was constructed in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 occupants, based on a population count.
Approximately 40 percent of its inhabitants are believed to be at least 65 years old. Some have resided in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.
Hong Kong's second-most fatal incident on in history killed 176 individuals in 1948 and was triggered by a detonation at street level at a five-storey warehouse. The most deadly was at a sporting venue in 1918, when over 600 attendees died.
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