🔗 Share this article

The city's leader, John Lee, has directed the formation of an separate inquiry panel to investigate the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 151 people.

A Blaze of Unprecedented Scale

This past Wednesday, most of the residential blocks at the housing complex—which was subject to major refurbishment—went up in flames. Authorities later discovered that construction site netting surrounding the buildings did not comply with flame retardant standards.

A minimum of 13 people have been detained on suspicion of alleged culpable homicide, including the executives of a building firm.

"It is a terrible tragedy, it is a major blaze. Yes, we need reform. Failures have been detected in multiple areas. This is precisely the reason we must take decisive action to make certain all these gaps are addressed," stated the leader.

Investigation and Aftermath

The inferno—advancing with speed both upwards and between the blocks—was only fully doused by the end of the week, around 40 hours after it started, and required over 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the inquiry could take approximately a month.

Systemic Failures Identified

Several residents have reported they were not alerted by a smoke detector when the blaze started. Local firefighters determined that warning systems in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The relevant regulatory body has temporarily suspended construction activities on three dozen private developments.

Calls for Inquiry and Arrests

In a related development, officers took into custody a young man on suspicion of incitement on the weekend. He was part of a gathering petitioning for an independent inquiry into the fire. An online petition gathered more than 10,000 endorsements in a very short time before its contents were wiped.

Another two individuals, including a past council member, were also taken in by officers, according to local media reports.

International Reaction

The human rights organization and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the alleged detentions.

"Now is the time for the Hong Kong authorities to transparently investigate the origins of the catastrophic blaze...as opposed to suppressing those who pose valid inquiries," remarked the group.

Historical Context and Demographics

The housing estate was constructed in 1983 and had provided nearly two thousand flats for approximately 4,600 inhabitants, according to a population count.

Nearly 40% of its inhabitants are thought to be over 65 years of age. A number have lived in the subsidised housing estate since its construction.

The city's second-worst blaze on record took 176 individuals in the mid-20th century and was the result of a blast on the lower level at a commercial building. The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when in excess of 600 people lost their lives.