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Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to examine the reasons of a catastrophic blaze that took a minimum of 151 residents.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

Last Wednesday, the majority of the residential blocks at the estate—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. Investigators have since found that construction site netting installed on the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

At least 13 suspects have been arrested for alleged culpable homicide, comprising the directors of a building firm.

"Yes, it is a tragedy, the fire was immense. Changes are required. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. Hence we must take decisive action to make certain all these deficiencies are plucked," stated the leader.

The Probe and Its Consequences

The inferno—which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks—was not completely extinguished by the morning of Friday, around 40 hours after it started, and required more than 2,000 firefighters to contain.

That very day, authorities started accessing the buildings to secure proof. The government indicates the inquiry could require three to four weeks.

Systemic Failures Identified

A number of occupants have said they failed to hear a emergency siren when the blaze started. Hong Kong's fire service discovered that warning systems in each building were operating inadequately.

The relevant regulatory body has halted for now works on numerous private sites.

Demands for Probe and Detentions

Separately, authorities are said to have arrested a young man on allegations of subversion on Saturday. He was among a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the tragedy. An online petition gathered in excess of 10,000 signatures in less than a day before its page was taken down.

Two other people, among them a ex-local representative, were also questioned by officers, per local media reports.

International Reaction

The rights group and Human Rights Watch have both denounced the reported arrests.

"The moment has come for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the reasons of the devastating fire...rather than suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," stated the organization.

Background and Resident Profile

Wang Fuk Court was constructed in the early 1980s and had offered nearly two thousand flats for around 4,600 residents, according to a recent official survey.

Approximately 40 percent of its occupants are believed to be older than 65 years of age. Several have lived in the subsidised housing estate from its inception.

The city's second-worst blaze on in history killed 176 people in the mid-20th century and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a commercial building. The worst was at a local racetrack in the early 1900s, when over 600 people perished.